Siting the Pemigewasset House within the Changing Landscape of American Tourism

Part of the 2019 Grand Hotels Summer Speaker Series

New Hampshire’s grand hotels played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of American tourism from the mid-nineteenth through the early twentieth century. Plymouth’s Pemigewasset House was both a destination and a waypoint on the itineraries of many travelers as they ventured north to the White Mountains and to other regional attractions. This presentation examines how it met the evolving expectations of visitors as the landscape was transformed by new forms of recreation, modes of transportation, and desires for visual consumption.

John Christ is a faculty member at Plymouth State University, where he teaches courses in the social sciences. His research explores the development of modern and contemporary culture with a focus on such themes as tourism, creative placemaking, cultural institutions, and the power of the arts to shape a democratic society.

This talk is presented with support from MWM membership.