Churches
NAME OF CHURCH | TELEPHONE | ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|
| Weirs United Methodist Church | 603-366-4490 | 35 Tower St |
| Cornerstone Christian Fellowship | 603-366-2449 | 1 Foster Ave |
For those of the Jewish faith, Temple B’Nai Israel , at 210 Court St near downtown Laconia, was built in 1937. The Temple expanded in 1955 with the construction of a social hall, and again in 2001 with the addition of a classroom wing.
HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN WEIRS BEACH
The Original Methodist Church. Opened October 17, 1886. Burned November 9, 1924, in the Great Weirs Fire. Replaced by the current church in 1926.
The former Grange Hall, now the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. The building was the former home of the Weirs Grange, at the corner of Foster Avenue and Lakeside Avenue. The Grange Hall featured an auditorium that seated about 100. The webmaster recalls, as a child in the early 1960’s, attending a Halloween party at the Grange Hall, where a magician “levitated” an audience volunteer several feet off the stage in a prone position. I still wonder how it was done!
The Grange Hall is shown on a 1950s map.
There was another church in Weirs Beach, the St. Helena Mission Church on Rt. 11B. The church was sparsely used, being open only for Masses on summer weekends, and closed permanently in September, 2014. Built in 1955, the church was demolished on November 17, 2015 to make way for a residential development.
Interior of the St. Helena church
Graveyards in Weirs Beach
There are two graveyards in Weirs Beach. Both are maintained by the City’s Parks & Rec department.
The Page/Doe Cemetery is right next to Kellerhaus. This contains the grave of Captain William Gordon, a soldier of the Revolution, and an owner of one of the first two taverns in Weirs Beach. Soldiers of the War of 1812 and of the Civil War are also buried here. The large stone marker at the center of the graveyard is simply engraved “Doe”. It is believed to be the burial place of Augustus Doe, one the important personages of Weirs Beach’s early history.
The Dow/Batchelder/Beaver Pond Cemetery is hidden a short distance off of Roller Coaster road. The arrow in the map below pinpoints its location. Here lies Major Abram Tilton, who owned land on both sides of Route 3 where it intersects with Roller Coaster and Scenic/Watson road. Simeon Cate, who owned one of the other corners at the intersection, is also interred here.
HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN LACONIA
Sacred Heart Church
The Sacred Heart Church at 291 Union Avenue in Laconia. The residence to the left of the church was variously known as the Priests Residence, the Parsonage, the Parochial Residence, or the Parish House. The original wooden structure was replaced with a brick one circa 1910.
The St. Joseph School was built to the right of the church in 1921. The building became a bank branch from the 1990s to 2012. It is currently the offices of the St. André Bessette Parish.
Not to be confused with the school is St. Joseph Church, which is located at 30 Church St. in downtown Laconia. The church is threatened with demolition. The St. Joseph Preservation Society is working to save the church.
The Armory
Right across the street from the Sacred Heart Church was the State Armory. Built in 1927, the building, at 306 Union Ave, is still there. It is now the Laconia Community Center. The offices of the Laconia Parks & Rec department are located in the building. Originally owned by the State of New Hampshire, the building was transferred to the City of Laconia in 1975.
