Stories Of The Past Support Work For The Future

Stories Of The Past Support Work For The Future

By Thomas P. Caldwell

For someone who once envisioned spending his life as a hermit, Richard “Wink” Tapply ended up with quite another reputation — that of a family man and pioneer of community recreation who brought joy to generations of Bristol youths.

The cover of the book.

With the Reverend A.B. Thompson, Wink established the town’s first community center. The Bristol Community Center, now renamed the Tapply-Thompson Community Center in their honor, has offered recreational programs for all ages, including outdoor programs at the Slim Baker Conservation Area for Outdoor Living on Little Round Top. It also serves as home to Santa’s Village, which Wink’s son, Dick Tapply, used as the model for Laconia’s Christmas Village.

If those growing up in Bristol gained a love for the outdoors through the efforts of people like Wink and Conservation Officer Everett “Slim” Baker, Wink’s family learned directly from him to appreciate wilderness skills and sunsets. They recall him telling stories about what life was like a century ago while sitting around the campfire at their camp on Newfound Lake.

When Wink was in his eighties, he made an audio recording which his grandson, Tim Tapply, said was “to preserve the stories that embodied so much of who he was,” based on his memories of life in the 1920s. Tim used that recording, along with his own memories of Wink’s stories, to compile a 68-page book, Bus and Wink: Adventures of Youth, which is being sold as a fundraiser for the Tapply-Thompson Community Center and the Slim Baker Foundation for Outdoor Education, Inc.

The stories involve Wink’s formative years, first as a visitor and later as a full-time resident of Bristol, and his friendship with Clanton “Bus” Martin. The two boys were fast friends, sharing the outdoor pleasures of baseball, camping, and sledding. The “adventure” stories that Wink told with touches of humor and pride involved hatchet-throwing, racing along the top of a board fence, and building a fort in the clay beneath Bristol’s Kelley Park.

Tim said he did an initial draft of the book for his family, to preserve the memory of his grandfather through his stories.

“I think the hermit idea was one my grandfather remembered from his younger days when he was so close with Bus,” Tim said. “But life started to erode that idea. Meeting my grandmother [Ruth] however, really sealed the deal. He fell ‘head-over-heels’ for her.”

He added, “We never knew for sure what happened with Bus once they grew up.”

Publication

The decision to publish the book as a fundraiser for two organizations that were so important to the Tapply family came easily.

“I recall the Community Center as being a place that was built up around my grandparents but it wasn’t until I was older that I appreciated more of its place in the history of Bristol and my memories of Inspiration Point go back further,” Tim said.

The conservation officer, Slim Baker, had envisioned an outdoor education center to promote an appreciation of nature, but he fell ill before realizing his dream. A group of residents who were aware of his illness launched a campaign to follow through on the vision, boosted by a 125-acre land donation by Reba Follansbee Hipson in 1953. Three years later, an adjacent 10-acre field was added, just as a rustic lodge was completed to serve as a base for activities by the various youth groups, including those associated with the Bristol Community Center.

In 1960, the summit of Little Round Top was developed as Inspiration Point, in memory of 28-year-old Dean Stephens, who had died in an airplane crash. A huge wooden cross erected there serves as a site for Easter Sunday sunrise services as well as other events, such as weddings. Inspiration Point also provides great viewing for tracking Central New Hampshire’s annual bird migrations.

Clanton ‘Bus’ Martin and Richard ‘Wink’ Tapply.

Bus and Wink: Adventures of Youth; Stories Told Around the Campfire is available at the Tapply-Thompson Community Center on North Main Street, Bristol, with 100 percent of the sale price going to support a capital campaign to build a covered pavilion at the Slim Baker Area for Outdoor Living, in keeping with the organization’s master plan. In addition to providing a place for the youths involved in the TTCC summer camp, the pavilion would be available for scouting and school programs to advance outdoor learning experiences.

“I understand the pavilion has been on the master plan for the Area for at least 20 years,” Tim said. “It was an idea after my grandfather’s involvement. My father advocated for the pavilion because it brings together the two organizations that meant so much to my grandparents. It will be available for groups to use to enjoy and love the out-of-doors and it will be the home at the Area for the TTCC Day Camp.”

The Tales

In his introductions to some of the tales, Tim speaks of the excitement that Wink displayed while telling those stories — how he would wriggle in his chair and the words would come out in an excited jumble as he reached the end of a tale, seeming to transform him from an 80-year-old to a 10-year-old as he spoke.

For those who only knew Wink and Ruth as the enthusiastic promoters of recreation at a time when some objected to spending money on “play,” the stories of Bus and Wink as pranksters who took wild chances and sometimes-questionable antics may come as a surprise. For his family, it was all part of who Wink was.

One example of Bus and Wink’s flirtations with danger is the story of their “double-runnah” traverse sled. Bristol’s “old-timers” have talked about the days when people would sled down High Street into Central Square, but Wink tops those memories with a tale of riding their “double-runnah” in icy conditions all the way from Round Top, down High Street, through the Square, down Central Street, and over the bridge spanning the Pemigewasset River, ending up in the adjacent town of New Hampton.

Not all of the stories are based in Bristol. Wink also spoke of camping trips to remote locations such as Long Pond in Northwood. Camping out on an island, they practiced hatchet-throwing until their prized scout hatchet missed a tree and fell into the pond. They were unable to find it, despite repeated diving attempts by Bus, and they finally gave up after Bus hit his head on the bottom of the boat.

Then there was the “geranium episode” when their teacher walked in while Bus and another student were tossing her pot of flowers back and forth.

“Watching my grandfather get that excited simply telling the stories, one can only imagine what a mischievous bundle of energy he must have been as a boy,” Tim writes.

For more information about the Slim Baker area, see http://slimbaker.org.

To obtain copies of Bus and Wink: Adventures of Youth; Stories Told Around the Campfire, go to the TTCC website, ttccrec.org, or call 603-744-2713.

‘Mini Mount’ Restoration Is Complete

‘Mini Mount’ Restoration Is Complete

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Restoration of the M/V Mini Mount, a one-fifth-scale version of the M/S Mount Washington, now owned by the New Hampshire Boat Museum in Wolfeboro, has been completed and the vessel is waiting to move into its new home at the museum’s Bay Street property.

The original launch of the M/V Mini Mount on July 4, 1995, drew a huge crowd to Wolfeboro’s waterfront. (Courtesy Photo)

The nearly 50-foot vessel that once plied the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee, often mistaken for the actual cruise ship when seen at a distance, has been undergoing a restoration since Doug Smith of Laconia purchased it in 2011. Doug and his neighbor, Tim Lacey, have been repainting it and replacing some rot, but said the overall structure has remained in good shape and the engines had been meticulously maintained.

“It was mostly just surface rust,” Doug said, particularly along the 200 feet of railing which had been covered with a metal mesh that wore the paint off.

Doug Smith holds mascot Tuffy and Tim Lacey looks on as they stand next to the model used for the construction of the M/V Mini Mount, itself a replica of the M/S Mount Washington cruise ship. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Doug purchased the vessel from Mount Washington Cruises, owner of the M/S Mount Washington, which had acquired it after it had been taken out of the water, but had never found a use for it.

He said he ran across an ad when it was placed on the market for sale, and, “I made what I thought was a foolish offer — and it was, because they accepted it.”

The perspective in the top photo makes the M/V Mini Mount appear larger than the M/S Mount Washington, while the bottom photo shows the true size in comparison with the ‘mother ship’. (Courtesy Photos)

Although he had no place to store the Mini Mount, Doug said he couldn’t stand by and see it destroyed or allowed to rot. Because of its size, there were limited places to launch and dock the vessel.

He donated it to the NH Boat Museum in 2015 while continuing its restoration.

Popularity

Tim Lacey, who has spent most of his life in Laconia and “has had a boat since [he] was five,” was surprised to learn that his neighbor had purchased the Mini Mount — and that he had done so without a place to store it.

“Tim adopted it from Day 1,” Doug Smith said.

Having been friends with Dave Ewing of Dave’s Motorboat Shoppe in Gilford, Tim asked whether they would be able to store the vessel at his shop for two years while they worked on its restoration. Today, nearly nine years later, they have finally finished the restoration, allowing the Mini Mount to move closer to its final destination with the NH Boat Museum.

Mike’s Marine Transportation of Gilford came through for them when it was time to transport the Mini Mount from Center Harbor, where it had spent the winter with its “mother ship,” the Mount Washington, to Dave’s Motorboat Shoppe, where Dave provided space outside for them to work on the boat. They had to erect a shelter to protect it from the elements, and found they had several volunteers who offered to help without compensation because of their love of the Mini Mount.

“The best thing about this is the people we’ve met because of their interest in the boat,” Tim said. “People had either seen it on the lake or read about it, and a lot of people feel a connection with it.”

From the time of the boat’s launch on Lake Winnipesaukee on July 4, 1995, crowds would show up to greet it as it made its way around the lake. They especially loved to see it in the vicinity of the ship that inspired it, when photographers could compare the two vessels or use perspective to make it appear that they were the same size.

While the Mini Mount can carry up to nine passengers, its owners used to create the illusion of a full crowd by placing Barbie dolls in miniature seats on the boat. Viewed from a distance, it looked like passengers on the actual Mount Washington.

Origins

It was Jack Miller of Wolfeboro who built the Mini Mount with the assistance of his friend, Ed Aleska. Although they were in their sixties when they undertook the project, it was a labor of love for the two men, as well as their family members.

“Their inspiration was imagination and resources,” Tim said. “Jack Miller had a huge boathouse in downtown Wolfeboro, which allowed him to do the work there.”

Jack and Ed tested the feasibility of the project by first building an eight-foot model that featured all the details the eventual boat would include, such as the mesh screen that ran along the rails and the passenger windows along the length of the ship.

Having created the model, they set to work on the actual boat, which would occupy them for the next seven years. They built a quarter-inch steel hull with a half-inch Duraply superstructure. The boat was propelled by two Crusader 350 V-8 engines, with a third engine serving as a bow thruster to allow it to move sideways. The Mini Mount could reach a top speed of 15 knots.

“It took them seven years to build, working on it every day,” said Tim.

Captain Jack Miller, who built ‘The Little Mount’ or the “Mini Mount’ with his friend, Ed Aleska, holds a sign with information on the vessel in this photo from the 1990s. (Courtesy Photo)

“It was incredibly complex, with 12-volt and 120-volt systems, a depth-finder, radios, intercom, and generator,” Doug noted. “They didn’t skimp anywhere. There’s a steel driveshaft that’s 16 feet long.”

The boat has two miles of wiring to connect everything, they pointed out.

Irwin Marine helped with the engineering, launching, and winterizing “from Day 1,” Tim said.

Tim was particularly impressed with the ship’s horn, which was designed by experts to achieve the same pitch as the Mount Washington. Tim has a video of their test of the horn to make sure it still worked, saying they thought they might have to notify Gilford authorities when they planned to sound it.

They said it was not unusual to come across the Mini Mount while at the lake in the 1990s because Jack loved to show off the boat. He and Ed used to wear uniforms and they had a recording describing the Mini Mount as a child of The Mount.

“Jack was a showman,” Tim recalls. “No one ever had a bad day with the Mini Mount.”

Swag

After Doug purchased the boat, his daughter built a website to promote it and they had Mini Mount sunglasses, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and books. Tim posted information about the restoration on his Facebook page.

“It would have been neat to get it out on cruises, but it was too much,” Doug said.

They did give occasional tours of the boat, most notably with the Granite Region Antique Automobile Club whose members wanted to check it out. New Hampshire Chronicle featured it in one of their segments, and local newspapers have printed stories about the unique vessel.

Martha Cummings, executive director of the NH Boat Museum, expressed the directors’ appreciation “for all the work that Tim has done to care for the boat and his enthusiasm for the history over the years, and for Doug for preserving the boat and ultimately donating it to the museum.” She added, “I look forward to what we’ll be doing with it for the future — something everyone can look forward to.”

Martha explained that, while the COVID pandemic has presented a challenge to everyone, the museum board and its capital campaign team have been working on plans for the continuing care and display of the Mini Mount.

To keep track of the Mini Mount and other programs at the NH Boat Museum, see https://www.nhbm.org. Information on restoration of the boat also is available at https://www.facebook.com/mvminimount.

An Enchanting, Cosmic Landscape

An Enchanting, Cosmic Landscape

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Alison Joyce describes her partner, Charlie Kuizinas, as a happy-go-lucky, whimsical creature, much like his spirit animal and artistic inspiration, the moose. For Charlie, Cosmic Moose Art is his way of expressing the fun side of life.

Charlie Kuizinas works on one of his paintings.

“It’s so serious,” Charlie says of life, “but we need to laugh a little, smile.”

He describes his approach to art as “something that’s a perfect outlet for me, to provide kindness and happiness.”

His paintings, posters, and cards, most of which feature a moose wearing “cosmic glasses,” have caught on with visitors to the area as well as local businesses. He has framed pieces on display at Katie’s Kitchen in Wolfeboro as well as several other locations near his home base in the Newfound Area — a total of 30 locations in New Hampshire. He designed a new logo for the Newfound Country Store in Bridgewater, a place that features many of his works, including a painted 1967 Volkswagen bus.

Charlie and Alison go on the road with items ranging from wooden cutouts to beach towels, displaying at such events as the annual Hebron Fair, the NH Made Expo in Manchester, and an art show at Keene State College.

He also promotes community events such as the annual Run Your Buns Off race, which this year will be a virtual event.

“I created a giant, four-foot sticky bun for the race,” he said.

Charlie does a number of commissioned pieces, but said he tries to find time to do one more painting for the Cosmic Moose Art line each year. He and Alison, who handles the merchandising aspect of the business, also try to come up with new items all the time — most recently beach towels and stickers.

Charlie said he has been drawing and doodling most of his life, and eventually his creatures started evolving.

“The moose may be my spirit animal,” he said. “I put him in fun situations.”

Those may include fishing, barbecues, and time at the beach, with other animals playing parts in the scene. A barbecuing bear, swimming loon, or mischievous raccoon are likely to join in the outdoor fun.

“I love New England,” Charlie said, adding that, although he was born in Spencer, Massachusetts, and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he now considers New Hampshire his home.

“I missed New England — the topography, the hills, the beaches — so I bought a one-way ticket back 20 years ago,” he said.

‘Jam’ by Charlie Kuizinas

Finding an Audience

Charlie originally created large prints, but said that, after meeting Alison eight years ago, “she was able to take the paintings and turn them into something we could make a business of.”

Alison has a marketing background and recognized that they needed to offer items at different prices, beginning by offering greeting cards with his images.

Once they started offering greeting cards, as well as matted and signed prints, they began building an audience that now includes residents as far away as Michigan, Colorado, and California. Cosmic Moose Art has found a place in campgrounds and motor homes, with the smaller items making great impulse buys, Charlie said.

Whether on greeting cards or on wooden cutouts, Cosmic Moose Art invites viewers to look closely at hidden things.

“When I was small, I’d get close to paintings, intrigued by how artists were able to get their effects,” Charlie recalls. “I love things to do with the universe and vibes, and want people to see invisible things.”

He said, “Cosmic Moose Art just came to me. It needs a raccoon with mischief, bears with a hungry stomach, and a moose with cosmic glasses to see the vibrations around you. It’s a land without time.”

‘Pontoon’ by Charlie Kuizinas

Charlie said he hides a lot of things in his paintings which people can see if they look closely enough. While he signs the works KUZ — an abbreviation of his Lithuanian surname — he hides another KUZ somewhere within the image. He also will hide hearts, representing his brother, who died in 2010. “I feel him right here near me,” he said.

“My whole heart and soul go into these paintings,” he added. “There’s a lot to find if you look closely enough.”

Charlie said that, while he may have something in mind when painting a scene, everyone sees something different in his work. “It feels good to get someone to crack a smile — it’s a powerful tool.”

While he may not make a fortune selling his artwork, Charlie said, “I’m rich because I’m happy. It’s simply a magical thing. People are very responsive. Our first beach towels sold out in a single day.”

He also created an 18- by 24-in. acrylic map of the Newfound Area to feature area businesses. The project took more than six months, and, as Charlie explains on his website, “I wanted it to feel Magical. I wanted it to feel like you want to go and explore this area. It needed creatures. Lots of cool magical creatures like Gnomes and Bigfoot and Moose and Bears.”

Alison Joyce and Charlie Kuizinas show some of their new products, a beach towel and a wall plaque. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Happiness Through Adversity

Charlie says he grew up facing adversity, but he emerged happy.

“This is him,” said Alison. “If he’s a character, he’s a moose — a happy-go-lucky, whimsical creature.”

“It’s magical that we’re here in this moment in this universe,” Charlie said. “We’re surrounded by talented people — artists with good vibes. I have a million ideas, a product of 47 years of life, and I try to pick them strategically. It’s happening the way it’s supposed to be happening.”

To see the entire catalogue, visit cosmicmooseart.com or search for Cosmic Moose Art at etsy.com.

A six-month project, a map of businesses in the Newfound Area features some of the creatures from enchanted New Hampshire. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Trails Blend Health and History

Trails Blend Health and History

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Outdoor recreation remains among the healthiest activities to pursue, and one of the best offerings in the Lakes Region is the series of walking, hiking, and biking trails that are being developed alongside the lakes and rivers, many of them utilizing old railroad beds.

Landscaping for Bristol Falls Park, built on the site of a former railroad station, was completed on July 23, the first part of a trails project slated to create a multi-use path along the Pemigewasset River extending to Profile Falls. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

The latest development is Bristol Falls Park, located at a former railroad branch station at the confluence of the Newfound and Pemigewasset rivers. The park, completed on July 23, will serve as the stepping-off point of the Pemi Trail, proposed to connect downtown Bristol with Profile Falls in the Franklin Flood Control Area.

Today, that trail consists of a path that largely follows the old railroad bed that served the Bristol Branch, coming out of Franklin. Plans call for a phased approach involving the construction of a bridge over a washed-out area and widening the overgrown path with a hard-packed surface suitable for bicycles as well as pedestrians.

The town has discussed such a trail with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the last three decades, but the effort picked up support in 2018, when Bristol entered into a partnership with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension as part of the Community & Economic Development team’s new Downtown & Trails Pilot Program. The UNH Extension has been providing assistance in the exploration of action that could leverage the area’s natural assets for economic vibrancy, according to Bristol Town Administrator Nik Coates.

“The project had been envisioned many years, including being brought to the fore when the design charrette was done which was also the spark for the redevelopment of [Central] Square,” Nik said.

Multi-use trails have proven to be economic drivers, bringing walkers and bicyclists — and snowmobilers in the winter months — to the stores and restaurants lying near the paths. The Northern Rail Trail, for instance, which runs from Boscawen to Lebanon, spurred a revitalization that included businesses in downtown Danbury, situated at the halfway mark.

An old photograph shows the former Bristol Railroad station at the confluence of the Newfound and Pemigewasset rivers in Bristol where a new town park now exists. (Courtesy Bristol Historical Society)

The Winnipesaukee River Trail, built along another railroad bed, extends from Prospect Street in Franklin to Park Street in Northfield, with another section running from the Tilton Police Station to Route 140, for a total distance of 4.2 miles. The first section of the trail, from downtown Franklin to the “upside-down” sulphite railroad bridge, is paved, after which it has a packed dirt surface. The section from Franklin to Cross Mill Road in Northfield largely follows the Winnipesaukee River, known for its Class IV rapids popular with kayakers. From Cross Mill to Park Street, the trail veers away from the river but passes two ponds that boast abundant wildlife. The trail ends at the Northfield Freight Depot. From there, users need to travel along sidewalks on Elm Street in Northfield and cross into Tilton on Cannon Bridge, then use the sidewalks from downtown Tilton to the Tilton Police Station parking area, where the trail resumes.

The Winni Trail passes mill ruins that are highlighted on informational signs placed along the path to highlight the history of the area. That is something Bristol plans to do with its new park and trail system.

Bristol already has a multi-use trail on its north end, extending from Mill Stream Park to Newfound Lake. Part of the trail lies across the Newfound River, but most of it runs alongside Lake Street and, at one point, requires crossing the road.

The new park, Nik says, is a beautiful spot that showcases nature while being just a short distance from downtown Bristol.

Building a Park

All that remained of Bristol’s former train depot were the ruins, with stone foundations and remains of a bridge. In order to create Bristol Falls Park, the town had to bring in tons of dirt and rock to even out the terrain, and build a new bridge over the Newfound River. Except for the bridge, which required hiring an outside firm, the majority of the work was done by town staff.

A grant from the New Hampshire Water Conservation Fund covered part of the cost of the project, Nik said, adding that the town hopes to obtain a similar grant to extend the trail 2.5 miles to Profile Falls. In order to formally apply for the grant, however, the town needs a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the Franklin Flood Control Area.

Nik credits Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office for helping to get the ball rolling. The town had been having conversations with the Corps of Engineers since 1987, but after Shaheen got involved in March or April and agreed that the trail would create “the economic resilience we need,” Army officials expressed support for a memorandum of understanding that would allow the project to move forward.

“Once we have an MOU in hand, we can apply for grants,” Nik said, noting that the major expense in completing the trail is building a bridge over the eroded “canyon” that lies along the first portion of the trail. That bridge, he estimated, will cost $360,000, and the total cost for the trail is estimated to be about $1 million.

Once the trail reaches the area of Profile Falls, users will be able to continue through Old Hill Village to Franklin. Formerly the main route between Bristol and Franklin, that section of road was abandoned when the building of the flood control dam forced the town of Hill to relocate on higher ground — the state’s first project overseen by what would become the Office of State Planning. Today, the old road to Hill and Franklin is used by bicyclists, walkers, and pet owners who can explore the many side trails, fields, and wooded areas, as well as enjoying the Pemigewasset River as it flows toward Franklin and joins the Winnipesaukee River to form the Merrimack.

On the other side of the Pemi, off Route 127, the Franklin Flood Control Area boasts 10 miles of multi-use trails. Local Boy Scouts also cleared an area that was to become part of the Heritage Trail between New Hampton and Franklin.

The Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee Trail cuts through downtown Laconia and extends to Lakeport, with plans to expand to The Weirs. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Also in New Hampton, the town created an .89-mile nature-fitness loop behind the police and fire department building with river overlooks and exercise stations. When dedicating the trail, then-Selectman (now Town Administrator) Neil Irvine said it resulted from “a collective awareness of how important it is to have recreation in our lives.”

Other Trail Systems

Beyond Tilton’s terminus of the Winnipesaukee River Trail is another multi-use trail, the Winnipesaukee Scenic Trail in Belmont which skirts Lake Winnisquam. It begins by the Winnisquam Agway store and continues to the Laconia town line, offering occasional glimpses of deer, foxes, beavers, and birds, including bald eagles. There also is an osprey nest at Ephraim’s Cove.

At the Laconia town line, the trail becomes the Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee (WOW) Trail, continuing through downtown Laconia to Lakeport.

The WOW Trail grew out of the desire of the late Fred Toll, a Laconia City Councilor known for his support of recreation, to make use of the little-used railroad corridor. Toll initiated the Laconia Rails with Trails Exploratory Committee which grew into the WOW Trail Committee which oversaw the first section of the trail system, covering 1.3 miles, from downtown Laconia to Lakeport Square. The second phase extended the trail westward to Belmont, and the committee is now looking to extend the trail in the other direction, to Weirs Beach. Eventually, the trail may extend to Meredith, for a total distance of nine miles.

Meredith has its own set of seven trails for walking, hiking, and pets. The 4.5-mile Hamlin Trail lies in the Hamlin Conservation Area; Waukewan Highlands is a 1.7-mile trail in Waukewan Highlands Community Park; Page Pond and Forest has 3.3 miles of trails; the Stonedam Island Long Loop Trail extends 1.8 miles; Ladd Mountain Trail is 1.5 miles long; Stonedam Island Main Loop Trail is 0.8 mile long; and there are several short trails in Swasey Park. 

These are but some of the hiking and biking trails one can find in the Lakes Region, an area that has always recognized the importance of outdoor activities. It is part of what makes the region such a popular place to live or visit.

A Skillful Craftsman Who Loves Clocks

A Skillful Craftsman Who Loves Clocks

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Thomas Leete Zimmerman says his chisels are sharp enough to shave with, but that’s not sharp enough.

The statement sums up the philosophy of the Moultonborough cabinetmaker and clock repairer, who admits to being his own worst critic. Tom says his reputation is built on the last job out the door, so he wants each piece to be the best one yet.

“If it coughs, hiccups, or breathes out of rhythm, I want to be the first to hear about it,” he says.

Although the 76-year-old has taken down his “Thos. Leete: Cabinetmaker” sign and claims to have retired, he remains busy in his shop, working on a backlog of projects for customers who have placed pieces in his care.

A wall of cuckoo clocks graces Thomas Leete Zimmerman’s Moultonborough showroom. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

“I’ve told customers it may take a year,” he says, “and some have been waiting longer than that.”

In addition to the number of repairs and restorations he has undertaken, there is the complexity of the job that determines how long it will take. Some of his projects have involved restoring clocks that are literally in pieces when he gets them.

Tom keeps photo books of his projects, showing what the pieces look like when they arrive, details of the work he has done, and pictures of the finished product. The photos give an indication of what is involved, but Tom will take the time to describe in detail how he filled nail holes with pegs from dowels he created from pine, or carved missing sections to match the original design of the piece.

“If I don’t have it, I’ll make it,” he says. “When there’s a missing piece, I’ll let the furniture do the talking: I’ll look at the features and work from them. I may add embellishments to ‘terminate’ it and say it’s finished.”

In building a clock case, Tom says he may replicate another case, but will never copy it.

“I put some of myself into it,” he explains. “I’m a real traditionalist. I’ll take a pile of stuff and rearrange it.”

Tom says he can repair a clock, start-to-finish, in a week if he does not run into issues, but depending upon the complexity, it can take three weeks to three years.

“Often, it’s a game of hide-and-seek to find parts.”

A sharp, high-quality chisel is essential for the cabinetry work that Thomas Leete Zimmerman does. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Influences

Tom was born in Reno, Nevada, at a time when the only way to get to Lake Tahoe was by horseback — and his grandmother operated a dude ranch. Later, his mother worked as a nurse at a summer camp on Lake Winnipesaukee, and Tom attended the camp, later becoming a counselor there. He has called Charlestown, Gilmanton, and Moultonborough his home, while also living for a time in Vermont.

“It took me nine months to set up so I could start producing,” he says of his move to Moultonborough in 2005, “and I’ve been busy ever since.”

He recalls that, as a child, he was “always taking things apart,” and when his mother mentioned that to a machinist across the way, the man advised, “Make him put it back together.” That is how his love of making repairs got its start. Tom recalls watching the machinist from the doorway — he was not allowed inside — and that was the start of his picking up “a little piece here and a little piece there” to learn how make repairs.

His initial training was in furniture and furniture repair, he says, and he gained experience in a high-production facility as well as learning to do custom work.

“I’ve met some really interesting people,” he recalls, “some of them considered icons.”

One such person was Andy Marlow, who designs and builds period furniture in the classical styles, creating museum-quality reproductions.

“I visited him three times,” Tom said. “It was like being in the presence of God.”

It was a craftsman in Peterborough who first influenced him — a man whose name is now forgotten. Tom recalls stopping in to see the man at work, and the craftsman recognized Tom’s passion to learn. The man shared his knowledge of how to give life to a project.

has built and repaired furniture, but said he always had a fascination for clocks as well. He started by building cases for clockworks, but eventually decided he wanted to learn about the works themselves. He picked up information from the clockmakers who hired him to build the cases and later would be able to share his knowledge with them.

He is a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc., an organization founded in 1943 by members of the Horological Society of New York and the Philadelphia Watchmakers’ Guild. His shop has copies of magazines and pamphlets describing the various clocks from around the world, some of which have examples in his workshop.

He has worked on beehive candlestick clocks — an American style dating back to around 1840 — as well as Russian, Japanese, French, Viennese, German, and other countries’ clocks.

“I’m trying to get one from Brazil,” Tom says.

Thomas Leete Zimmerman discusses one of the clocks he has on display at his Moultonborough workshop. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

He says there were a lot of experiments in American clocks between 1830 and 1860, comparing it to the way people experiment with computers today. He said the period and the style are interrelated, so one has to understand the economics and the culture of the period.

“The style reflects that,” he says.

When trying to repair or pattern a clock after one of those designs, Tom says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be correct.”

He says, “I get excited about everything, but especially about cuckoo clocks.” One wall of his display room showcases the various types of cuckoo clocks he has collected or repaired.

Tom also has built grandfather clocks, banjo clocks, flat-tops, and Regulators, with all the variations they enjoy. Hanging gingerbreads are uncommon, but he has made a “phantom” version of one. He describes phantoms as “one that might have been made but never was” — a clock that is consistent with the style.

Clocks he has worked on have gone throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, as well as to England and Japan.

“I try to treat people fairly,” Tom says in explaining why his customers have returned and told others about his work.

He says he has worked on 17 cuckoo clocks in two months, some of them in rough shape but all of them with sentimental value.

“I enjoy working on them and seeing them come back,” he says of the clocks.

One of the more memorable clocks that Tom has worked on is one that Elisha Gray had purchased in Switzerland in 1885. Gray and Alexander Graham Bell both claimed to have invented the telephone, but Bell beat Gray to the patent office. Bell’s phone used the liquid transmitter that Gray had invented.

“The clock had penciled information about its history,” Tom said. “It becomes meaningful to have that information.” 

Those Chisels

Tom uses modern tools, but says the final work has to be done by hand. He prides himself on the detail of his work, with intricate designs and beveled edges for emphasis. To handle that level of detail, he needs sharp, good-quality chisels.

His shop has several drawers of chisels, including those once belonging to his friend and fellow cabinetmaker Dick Steele, who purchased them from the estate of their original owner, Bertie Bemis. Bertie, according to Tom, was a curmudgeon who wore a bowler, but his chisels were first-rate with handles that Bertie himself designed.

“They are English, hand-forged with Sheffield steel,” Tom says.

Dick Steele had apprenticed with Swedish cabinetmakers, and he shared his knowledge with Tom — knowledge that included the importance of good tools.

“He occasionally let me borrow his carving tools,” Tom recalls. “It allowed me to learn how to carve.”

Tom also has Shaker chisels, noting that the Shakers did not hesitate to buy the best-quality tools.

His love of hand tools matches his love of artful design. He notes that, before 1840, furniture was hand-made. The advent of industrial equipment brought machine-made furniture that was heavy and austere. He contrasts that with the gold-gilded French furniture that used the gold to highlight the detailed carving work.

Customers appreciate the quality of Tom’s work, and many of them are repeat customers. Although he has officially retired, Tom says he will still take care of his old customers.

An Artist’s Life at Snow Dragon Studio

An Artist’s Life at Snow Dragon Studio

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Susan MacDonald works on a painting in her Meredith studio. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Snow Dragon Mountain Farm in Meredith, with more than 50 acres of fields and woods, is the perfect setting for budding artists to hone their skills. With a natural-light indoor studio space as well as expansive lawns and a deck where art students can engage in plein air painting, Snow Dragon Studio is a place to practice and improve one’s artistic skills at one’s own pace, guided by a woman who has been immersed in art for her entire life.

Artist Susan MacDonald says that, while she got seriously involved with the art studio only a year ago, she has been drawing and painting since she was a child. As the daughter of the late Loran Percy, a well-known Lakes Region landscape painter, she learned to love the craft of coaxing images onto the canvas. 

Rumney Village Store, painting by Susan MacDonald. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Loran, who began as a photographer but evolved into an artist and teacher whose paintings of Lake Winnipesaukee and Gunstock Mountain Resort made him a popular artist with both local residents and visitors to the Lakes Region, operated an art gallery in Gilford. The gallery featured oil paintings as well as hand-cut crystal, limited-edition prints, and Victorian windows.

Susan picked up her drawing and painting skills from him directly, as well as from assisting with the art classes he taught.

She found herself operating a veterinary clinic in Gilford after marrying Dr. Robert MacDonald, who had graduated from Tufts University’s veterinary program, and they also operated a dairy farm, leaving her with very little time to think about painting. However, after her mother moved from her apartment on the property to live in the Taylor Community, Susan decided to convert the apartment into an art studio where she could work on her own skills while also teaching others the love of art.

Snow-covered truck, a painting by Susan MacDonald. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

“I decided to do what I really wanted to do,” Susan says.

She still has six cows, six geese, six dogs, and five cats, but the farm now serves as a setting for the practice of art skills. Her animals often serve as subjects for her students to paint.

Susan takes a maximum of four students at a time in order to give each one the necessary attention. It is not a class for art instruction as much as an opportunity for artists to develop their own skills, with Susan serving as a guide.

“It’s an open studio, with three-hour sessions for $35,” she explains. “We pick a project together on something they’ll be comfortable with — watercolors, oils, or whatever they want to do. Students are allowed to choose their own style.”

Susan MacDonald enjoys capturing the details of homes and junk automobiles in her paintings. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Students can bring their own art supplies or use hers, she says, and they work on their individual projects until they’re done.

All that is not to say there is no structure to the sessions.

“We start with a warmup,” Susan says. “We do drawing to start.”

She takes students to nearby locations to practice sketching, which she views as a necessary ingredient.

“It’s important to have good drawing skills to paint well,” she says. “It’s hard to just pick up brushes and paint. I encourage them to do sketches first, and to plan it out carefully. There’s value in sketches.”

She says students are often eager to start with the canvas, but “without a plan in your head, it’s hard to be successful. I make sure they come out with a good product in the end, something to show to their friends.”

Susan teaches her students about color, values, form, and composition, and how to build on those skills.

The warmup sessions also break up the time during the three-hour open-studio sessions.

A painting by Susan MacDonald of Meredith. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

The Artist’s Favorites

Susan says she most enjoys plein air painting — going outside and choosing an interesting subject. For her, capturing the details of a building or a junk automobile or a boat, and the way the light plays over those surfaces, are the most interesting.

“It’s like putting a puzzle together,” she says. “Scenery is good, too, but putting the little pieces together is what I like most.”

Still, what she calls “painting in the wild” does have its problems in the form of wind, bugs, and rain.

“It can be overwhelming,” she said. “You can also be dealing with traffic and people watching.”

That is why having an expansive property that is totally off the grid is welcome for her, and it can be helpful to students. They can get outside, yet move inside the studio if conditions warrant — and the remote location off a long driveway means traffic is not an issue.

“It’s so complicated, so we teach students to simplify stuff,” she says.

Susan likes sketching and oil painting, but her favorite medium is gouache, an opaque watercolor that results in a soft, chalky look. Unlike oils, gouache paints can be reactivated after drying by adding water, allowing the artist to touch up or rework the original painting.

Susan also likes illustration, which actually was what inspired her to get back into art work. She has illustrated two children’s books by Belmont writer Rose-Marie Robichaud: Dee’s Pig and Dee’s Extraordinary Rooster.

“Doing that got me interested and into it,” Susan says, noting that she also had done historic costuming before returning to painting.

Susan also enjoys figure drawing and sketching animals. “It helped when I did start teaching classes, and I enjoyed being with students.” In addition to the classes, Susan does commissioned work, and before the Coronavirus pandemic, she was planning to place some of her works in a gallery. She does have an exhibition planned for New Hampton School’s Galletly Gallery.

Her son, Tristan, is carrying on the family tradition as he enters Dartmouth College, planning to major in engineering and fine art.

For more information about Susan MacDonald and her open studio, visit Snow Dragon Studio on Facebook or call her directly at 603-455-3561.