Strafford News

Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on September 9.

Berwick resident and long-time Rollinsford teacher Nancy Cook has been chosen by the Association of Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) as the recipient of the 2021 ARCH Heritage Award, presented annually to a person who has made significant contributions to the preservation of the history, heritage and culture of Rollinsford and the lower Salmon Falls region. 

A respected authority on textiles and fiber arts, especially weaving, Mrs. Cook has been a frequent volunteer at events at Rollinsford’s historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House, including school visits and craft demonstrations. Most significantly, she trained and led a team of volunteers who hand sewed bed hangings for the east chamber of the Wentworth House, and created curtains for other rooms at the house. 

Mrs. Cook has taught art at Rollinsford Grade School since 1994, and has used her art classes to cultivate an appreciation for local history to students of all grades. In 2012, she helped organize the 75th anniversary celebration of Rollinsford Grade School which brought the school’s history to life through skits, art, film, displays, and music.

She and her husband Peter have welcomed diverse groups of people to Tare Shirt Farm, their nationally known mid-18th century working farm in Berwick which includes orchards, period buildings, and early breeds of livestock, along with a significant collection of looms, spinning wheels, and other fiber art tools.

The Heritage Award will be presented to Mrs. Cook at Salmon Falls Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 18 at the American Legion Park on Foundry Street in Rollinsford. The award presentation at 4:30 pm will be followed by a reception honoring Mrs. Cook at the Wentworth House on Water Street in Rollinsford.

A nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Rollinsford and the lower Salmon Falls region, ARCH maintains the historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House as an educational and cultural center for the community. For more information, consult the ARCH website at www.paulwentworthhouse.org or send an email to paulwentworthhouse@gmail.com.          

Original source can be found here.