Many remember the red roadside building that was Ed’s Country Auction House over in West Rindge. Some may even recall it as the Mary L. Ware Grange Hall. Today, the auction house and grange has been given new life as Rindge Glass Flowers bed-and-breakfast.
“We tried to keep the integrity of the building as it was” owners Gene and Judy Andersen said of their approach to repurposing the building as a B & B. For 12 years, the husband-and-wife team could be seen by passersby diligently working on this project.
The Andersens kindly invited me to visit Glass Flowers knowing I was interested in their impressive undertaking. I’d been curious about their work for years, and, having been to Ed’s Country Auction House a handful of times, I was in awe at the transformation.
The dedication and hard work invested was evident at every turn as we toured Glass Flowers. The three-bedroom B & B is full of striking detail, including ornate wood trim that edges the common-room windows. Judy explained that the trim came from a majestic house in South Dakota that they’d purchased decades ago and held onto while searching for its new home. In fact, many details of their B & B were brought to Rindge from other parts of the world or shared with them by family.
Honoring the building’s past as a gathering place in the community is apparent in the details, as well. Judy spoke to restoring the wood floors, remarking she didn’t have the heart to sand them down; the wear and tear on those floors is part of the fabric of the building and stories that go along with it. Similarly, the wide, L-shaped staircase that so many community members climbed to gather on the second floor of the auction house and grange have only been cleaned and polished; marks from the past will remain.
Gene shared with me the history of the Mary L. Ware Grange Hall as he knows it from his own research and that from fellow residents in West Rindge. He says neighbor Ed Lamoureux has been particularly helpful on Ware’s community involvement. A prominent local figure, Ware’s commitment and contributions to New Hampshire agriculture led to the Grange being named in her honor. Likewise, her passion for botany and glass flower art are why the Andersen’s chose the name “Rindge Glass Flowers” for their B & B.
As for Ed’s Country Auction House, those doors closed for a final time in 2006 after holding auctions for more than 50 years. I’d attended a few of Ed’s auctions and found it to be a terrific local gathering experience. There was a hard-working spirit in the youngsters acting as auction runners, and a strong, old-fashioned New England appeal, complete with baked goods and coffee for sale. Looking back, I was experiencing a piece of Rindge history and am grateful for it today.
Thank you, Gene and Judy, for your work in keeping this building and its stories alive.
Interesting local family activities? A friendly exchange with a neighbor? Or a special milestone to share about? Reach out and connect with me at rindgecommcorr@yahoo.com.
The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript is continuing to seek community correspondents for our towns. If interested, send an email to editor Bill Fonda at bfonda@ledgertranscript.com.