The Hand That Did Not Let Go At Town Meeting

placesthingspeople
Written By John Freitag

If you look up at the ceiling the next time you are in the Strafford Town House, beware.

The sounding board at the Strafford Town House

In the Strafford Town House, there is a sounding board with a carved hand clasping a ring connected to a decorative rod attached to the ceiling.  When the Town House was built in 1799, it served the dual purpose of being both the place to gather for Town Meeting and other civic functions as well as for religious services with the stipulation that it would be open to all denominations. 

The sounding board was originally located above the pulpit at the back of the building opposite the doors. In 1825, Reverend John Moore, who was then preaching at the Town House, in a letter about the sounding board which was located some 10 inches above his head, wrote: "That ancient invention prevents the speaker's words from rising, I suppose, before people can get a clue to their meaning".

It was also said that should the minister ever speak a falsehood the hand would immediately release its grip and the sounding board come crashing down upon the offending speaker.  "Wide-eyed youngsters," a Mrs. Chandler wrote about the sounding board, "watched breathlessly through the services hoping, yet fearing, to behold the catastrophe."

While the hand has never yet released its grip, it should be noted that the microphone used by those wishing to speak at Town Meeting is not located directly underneath the present location of the sounding board.

Why tempt fate?

John Freitag

I first moved to Strafford in 1971 while doing two years of civilian service as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. I was involved primarily in organizing food co-op and NOFA, a farmers co-op. In 1976 I moved back with my wife Lisa and our 3-month-old son to work at Rockbottom Farm. I worked there for the next 6 and a half years. In 1983 I started working at the Newton Elementary School as the custodian/bus driver. I worked there until the summer of 2016. I have been involved in many civic organizations and town government positions over the years, including serving for 14 years as President of the Strafford Historical Society. My over 28 years of covering Strafford news for the White River Valley Herald has also given me insight into our community.

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