In 1992, under the direction of artist Karen Becker, the community came together in a collaborative art project.
Hosted by the Jaffrey Civic Center, eight 4×8-foot gray panels were turned into a 40-foot-long mural, illustrating Jaffrey’s history.
Volunteer artists from around the community came together, consulting old illustrations, photographs and drawings, trying to draw together a cohesive image of what Jaffrey used to be.
The mural was created as part of “Lights Fest,” a celebration by matchbook maker D.D. Bean & Sons of Jaffrey, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the matchbook. The celebration included a golf tournament, a monster parade, the burial of a time capsule, a fireworks display, and multiple community mural projects, including the one crafted at the Civic Center.
This August, that mural will be out on display for viewing at the Civic Center starting on Aug. 15. The callback is part of the Civic Center’s celebrations of its 60th Anniversary.
On Aug. 15, there will be a talk on the history of the Civic Center, given by Board of Trustees member Sean Driscoll at 4 p.m., followed by information about the mural project given by David Belletete. The murals will be out for display on the Civic Center patio.
Becker will be returning to Jaffrey to help mark the occasion, and the Civic Center is asking any community members who helped to work on the murals to visit and reminisce on their work during the reception.
Each panel covers a period in Jaffrey history and has an overall theme, but how that theme was illustrated was left up to the volunteer artists. Each section includes the iconic Mount Monadnock. The panels were donated to the Jaffrey Historical Society after the celebration.
Some of them represent scenes still recognizable in Jaffrey today — the tall, white steeple of the Jaffrey Meetinghouse, or the World War I “Buddies” monument that stands in Jaffrey War Memorial Park. Some depict Jaffrey before European settlers, and when the train still ran through town. Miniature paintings along the border of the mural showcase important town buildings and figures.