Unveiling of historic downtown walking tour May 4

The 1.8 mile tour will take about 45 minutes to complete and will feature a short speech by Rochester Mayor TJ Jean. (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - The Design Committee Volunteers at Rochester Main Street will celebrate the unveiling of their new self-guided walking tour of downtown Rochester on Sunday, May 4 at 1 p.m. After much work, the volunteers have developed a self-guiding brochure that takes in 1.8 miles and describes many of the historic highlights in downtown Rochester.

This brochure is not intended to be a full scale history of downtown Rochester but just a brush to tickle the interest of residents and visitors and familiarize them with some of our local landmarks and history.  Starting and ending at City Hall, the entire tour is expected to take 45 minutes to one hour.

To celebrate the completion of this project, a special unveiling and guided tour will take place on Sunday, May 4 at 1 p.m. Those wishing to attend should meet at the front steps of City Hall where Rochester Mayor TJ Jean will mark the beginning with a few words, following which guests may take a special one-time initial guided tour led by Michele Mears, one of the Rochester Main Street Design Committee Volunteers. Those taking the tour are also invited for light refreshments in Central Square afterwards.

 Historic Highlights of Downtown Rochester Brochures will be available to the public at City Hall, The Rochester Chamber of Commerce Information Center, Rochester Public Library, or may be downloaded from the Rochester Main Street Website at www.rochestermainstreet.org after Sunday, May 4th.

For more information on the history of the downtown and Rochester, the Main Street volunteers recommend a visit to the Rochester Historic Museum at 58 Hanson Street (Open Thursday afternoons), or reading “The Architectural Jewels of Rochester” by Michael Behrendt or the new updated History of Rochester, NH book produced by the Trustees of the Trust Funds. Both books are available in local stores or on loan from the Rochester Public Library.

If you would like to reserve a space for the guided tour, then please contact the Main Street Office by calling 603-330-3208 or emailing director@rochestermainstreet.org. The May 4^th celebration is a rain/shine event.