Bucolic Plainfield has access to nearby towns and outdoor recreation
Bordered by the Connecticut River and Vermont, Plainfield, 14 miles from Hanover, is a rural town in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley. The town is favored by those who enjoy the outdoors and wish to escape city living without feeling isolated. “Both Plainfield and Cornish are part of the Art community; we have Saint-Gaudens, which is a national historic site,” says Mary Chamberlin, a managing broker at Vanessa Stone Real Estate. Chamberlin has 23 years of experience in the industry. “The Connecticut River Valley is rather unique. We have Interstate 89 and Interstate 91, so there’s a lot of opportunity to get in and out of the area easily. It’s a tight community in that people who live there live and work in the area, and they like to do things locally and get involved in the community.” The town of Plainfield has two main communities where most businesses and homes are located: Plainfield and Meriden. These areas are surrounded by brooks and trails for outdoor recreation.
Parks and recreation on the Connecticut River and the surrounding land
Sumner Falls on the Connecticut River is popular for anglers and boaters. Visitors fish from their kayaks near small waterfalls. The town has numerous mountain hiking trails and conservation lands such as French’s Ledges and the Annie Duncan State Forest. To find hiking, biking, skiing and snowmobiling trails, volunteer groups such as the Plainfield Trailblazers organize transportation to these locations, and the Blow-Me-Down Snowriders maintain snowmobile trails.
Homes in a variety of styles
Homes branch off major roadways and cluster together in the communities of Plainfield and Meriden within the town. Other houses are down long driveways and surrounded by farmland or forest. Most residences have private wells and septic tanks. The Connecticut River borders the town, and several brooks run through it. During inclement weather, flooding may occur. “Most of the houses are up away from the river; a few on the Vermont side might get hit. There’s not a lot of flooding in this area,” says Chamberlin. Every once in a while, there’s a street that gets washed out, but we don’t get much flooding here.” The Connecticut River is also heavily dammed to reduce flooding.
Colonial Revival, Minimal Traditional and saltbox are common housing styles. “There’s a whole mix of styles,” says Chamberlin. “Mobile homes to 15-room homes. You’ve got a very wide variety of homes, and that’s the way it is in the entire Upper Valley. You don’t want everything to be identical; that’s not the New England way.” Homes range from $400,000 to $700,000.
Plainfield and Lebanon schools receive As
School Administrative Unit 32 serves Plainfield. Plainfield Elementary gets an A-minus from Niche for kindergarten through eighth grade. The Lebanon School District, which gets an A, has an agreement with Plainfield that allows high school students to attend Lebanon High, which gets an A-minus. Students at Lebanon High participate in clubs and extracurricular activities such as drama, Dungeons and Dragons and Book Club. The Kimball Union Academy, which receives an A-plus, is a private high school in Plainfield with boarding options.
Art festival and community fundraising
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is less than a mile outside Plainfield. The park memorializes the home and studio of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a 1800s sculptor and founder of the Cornish artists’ colony. The site continues Saint-Gaudens' tradition by remaining a bastion of the arts and hosting events such as the Art in the Park Festival for National Public Lands Day. The festival has artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, live music and grounds tours.
In October, Plainfield’s annual Blackhawk Blaze run begins at Plainfield Elementary. Participants may choose between a 5k or a mile run. All proceeds go to the school PTA and graduating class.
State Route leads to nearby communities with hospitals and airports
The Historic Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge connects Windsor, Vermont, 12 miles away from Plainfield. State Route 120 leads 8 miles to Lebanon and 14 to Hanover and Dartmouth College. Using the same route, Claremont is 13 miles away.
The Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is 12 miles away, and the Lebanon Municipal Airport is 9 miles away. Houses of worship such as Plainfield Seventh-day Adventist Church, Christ Community Church and the Meriden Congregational Church are in the communities of Plainfield and Meriden.
Shopping and dining in Plainfield
Poor Thom’s Tavern is in the community of Meriden and serves American fare and wood-fired pizzas. Down the road is the Meriden Deli Mart, a convenience store selling locally sourced produce, sandwiches and baked goods. The Plainfield Country Store has convenience store items and a menu serving American comfort food with daily specials. Near the Connecticut River is Riverview Farm, a family-run orchard where visitors can pick apples, pumpkins, and berries. Its barn store sells ciders, sweets, preserves and fresh produce. Nearby, Edgewater Farm has a farmstand and kitchen. The kitchen has a seasonal menu, and the farm stand sells produce from Edgewater and farms in the Upper Valley. Lebanon has Shaw’s, Hannaford, Walmart, and Target for more grocery and commercial shopping.
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Written By
Isabella Pontecorvo
