The Blackfly Quarterly is published four times a year, roughly in the middle of February, May, August, and November.

Most of the articles published also appear here on the Nelson In Common website, but we know people still enjoy reading a print newsletter. https://nelsonincommon.org/the-black-fly-quarterly/ Below are library articles that you may read here.

The Black Fly Express is your weekly link to what’s happening in Nelson and Munsonville, providing community news, reminders of Events from the Nelson In Common calendar, and links to articles and other new content on this website.

https://nelsonincommon.org/the-black-fly-express/

A Century of Community: Celebrating 100 Years of the Olivia Rodham Memorial Library

Without a post office, general store, or coffee shop to serve as a daily meeting place, Nelson has long relied on the library as its heart. This most cherished gathering space celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, standing as a symbol of enduring community spirit. From Saturday Coffee Hours and Cookbook Club to Book Groups, Music Sessions, and summer forums, its calendar reflects the variety and vitality of Nelson itself. The library is not simply a place for books; it is a place for belonging. This living heartbeat of the community traces its origins back to a remarkable woman whose curiosity and compassion shaped Nelson’s cultural soul: Miss Olivia Rodham.

Born in Belair, Maryland, Olivia Rodham grew up in a Quaker family that prized education and self-reliance. After early hardships including the loss of her mother and sister, caring for her ailing father, and ultimately leaving home in search of independence, Rodham built a life defined by scholarship and service. She became Assistant Librarian and Instructor of Botany at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, earning an honorary B.A. degree in 1890. In 1891, she settled in Nelson, transforming a barn on Lead Mine Road into her home, affectionately named Headlong Hall. This, and other reconfigured barns and abandoned farms, became The Pennsylvania Settlement, a unique and influential art and intellectual colony, a trend for artists and scholars that had emerged in various places all over the world.   

Developed in parts of Europe, Australia, and America, these art colonies flourished as artists left the rush of urban life to return to the beauty, simplicity, and affordability of the countryside. Central to the formation of the one in Nelson was Olivia Rodham, a respected scholar whose intellectual charisma and passion for knowledge attracted a like-minded circle of creatives and academics. Her home became a cultural hub, drawing visitors from other prominent New England colonies, such as Cornish and Dublin, and fostering a rich exchange of artistic and intellectual ideas. Notable figures such as poet Witter Bynner, muralist Barry Faulkner, and Homer Saint-Gaudens frequented the settlement, underscoring its importance in the broader landscape of American art colonies. 

Through Rodham’s natural and magnetic leadership, The Pennsylvania Settlement became an enduring chapter in Nelson’s cultural history. She also influenced young people, including student Robbins Milbank, who lived with her for nine years and would later become one of her greatest champions. In 1964, long after her death, Robbins Milbank wrote Olivia Rodham, a tribute to his childhood mentor. In it he summarized her character and accomplishments:

“She was a woman possessed of intense curiosity, a curiosity which led her to the study of botany, the study of medicine, the study of Latin and Greek, the study of literature and the collection of books. In each endeavor, she became a master, acknowledged by her peers. She published pamphlets on botany, she assisted in the preparation of a medical dictionary, she aided other lexicographers. Her knowledge of literature was rich and varied and is reflected in her collection of books, which formed the original basis of the library erected in her memory.” 

Eventually, her personal library, rich in classics, science, and art, became the seed from which the Olivia Rodham Memorial Library would grow. 

Nelson has records dating to 1824 of a “Literary Society” that purchased and shared books with residents. This collection was located in various residences over time, including Charles Atwood’s store, located on the town common before it burned down on February 6, 1894. Luckily, townspeople saved much of what was inside, including the book collection. After Rodham’s death, her Nelson friends and admirers set out to honor her legacy by creating a permanent home for all of Nelson's literary collection. Led by summer resident Mary Elliot, with the support of Henry Melville, who donated the land, and architect Alexander F. Law, the result was a small but elegant building built by Homer Priest whose cornerstone was laid in 1925: The Olivia Rodham Memorial Library.

Located on the hill directly across from the Congregational Church, the interior embodied both simplicity and grace. Five sack-back Windsor chairs, still in use today, provided comfortable seating for readers. The building was further adorned with two stained glass windows by Margaret Redmond (1866–1948), a distinguished artist and neighbor who spent her summers in Nelson. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Harvard School of Architecture, MIT, and the Académie Colarossi in Paris, Redmond was known for her luminous, medieval-inspired windows — several of which still adorn Boston’s Trinity Church. For Nelson, she created King Arthur and Sir Galahad — windows that filled the library with color and quiet reverence. 

Over time, the little library groaned with the weight of its growing collection, flourishing patron roster, and lively event schedule. Its positioning on a steep hill made ADA improvements difficult and the lack of indoor plumbing was challenging. By the mid 1990s, it was determined that a new library was needed. The corner lot on the town common, which had most recently been home to celebrated artist Albert Quigley and wife Mildred, was eyed. After their death, their home had fallen into disrepair and a group of citizens had purchased and donated the land to the town. 

The design of the new library, whose architecture blended perfectly with the character of Nelson, added an annex to the existing town hall, an ADA-compliant ramp, and two new bathrooms! Of course Margaret Redmond's stained glass windows were lovingly moved, ensuring that Redmond’s artistry and Rodham’s spirit would continue to shine together.

The original Olivia Rodham Memorial Library building now serves as an art gallery and artist-in-residence space and remains carefully preserved by a group of dedicated Nelson residents, some of which are descendants of those who built it. The building continues the mission begun a century ago: to bring people together through curiosity, conversation, and creativity.

Windsor Chairs at Nelson Library by Kris Finnegan

The Nelson Library has five sack-back Windsor chairs. These same chairs were already in the old library building when I started working there in 1990. I've been trying to learn more about them.

After contacting a couple of Historical societies with no results. I went to the internet and found one possible match, a chair made by William Leavens & Co., a Boston furniture maker active between around 1874 and 1930. Their 1906 catalog lists a similar chair called the “Cottage Chair No. 1776.” The catalog features both illustrations and photographs of their furniture. The library chairs have a partial label on them indicating this company. The printing on the bottom is 1775, not 1776.

About Windsor Chairs

Windsor chairs have a solid wooden seat with the legs and back spindles inserted into holes in the seat, unlike many other chairs where the back and legs are one continuous piece. The seat is often carved into a shallow “saddle” shape for comfort. The legs and spindles are typically turned on a lathe, and the back (and sometimes the arms) are made from steam-bent wood. These chairs were usually painted to hide the different types of wood used in their construction.

The design likely originated in England in the 16th century, evolving from simple stick-back chairs. The first recorded use of the term “Windsor chair” was in 1718. The chairs became widely produced in Buckinghamshire, especially in High Wycombe, and were shipped from the town of Windsor, which is how they got their name.

When making a traditional Windsor chair, three types of craftsmen were involved:

  • The bodger (made legs and stretchers in the woods),

  • The benchman (made the seat and other sawn parts),

  • The framer (assembled and finished the chair).

Windsor chairs were brought to North America by English settlers, with the first American versions appearing in Philadelphia around 1730.

Chair Types and Construction

There are about seven main styles of Windsor chairs, including the sack-back, which is what the Nelson Library has. These chairs rely on a thick seat for strength, with legs set at angles for support. English chairs often used elm for the seat because of its strength, while American versions used softer woods like pine or poplar, which are easier to carve.

A key feature of Windsor chairs is their strong joints: the legs and spindles are driven into the seat and secured with wedges, creating a durable connection even if glue fails. The glue fails often on the Nelson library chairs. We keep a bottle of wood glue and bungee cords to repair them.

Keeping it Brief at the Nelson Library ( Short Story Collection)

At the library, we know reading preferences vary: some relish digging into Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend tetralogy, or Hillary Mantel’s three-volume tale of Thomas Cromwell and the Tudor Court. Others want something briefer: a spine-chilling tale by Poe, or a brief romantic interlude with Maeve Binchy.

The library has always kept short story collections on the shelves, by authors famous and obscure. But until now, finding them amidst the rows of adult fiction has been challenging.

No more! We have pulled together our short story volumes into two simple shelves, just below the Agricultural Commission’s Seed Library (see photo). There you will find a little something for a wide variety of tastes:

  • A complete Sherlock Holmes, plus short story collections by Martin Walker, Ruth Rendell and Louise Penny for mystery fans;

  • Tales of the strange and unnerving by Stephen King or Neil Gaiman;

  • Classic tales for lit majors by Conrad, Chekhov, Stephen Crane or Flannery O’Connor; and

  • Contemporary short fictions by Margaret Atwood, Sherman Alexie, Russell Banks, Alice Munro or Elizabeth Strout.

Are we missing your favorite author? Let us know what you enjoy reading, and help our collection grow! And if you do want to tackle Ferrante or Mantel, their volumes await you on our shelves.

Jeff Taylor

Library Dogbody

Buzzed About Bees by Jen Pepin

Excitement was in the air as Rick Church took the stage Monday at the opening session of the Nelson Library’s Summer Reading program. Fully outfitted in his bee suit, he introduced us to the book that started it all, Winnie the Pooh. Rick recalled being mesmerized as a small child at the idea of a bear holding a balloon to rise up into the tree to collect honey from a hive. Today, he labels his honey “Winnie’s Gold” based on A.A. Milne’s childhood story.

Most people have developed an admiration for bees, understanding how hard they work and how essential they are to pollinating the trees and plants that form the foundation of our ecosystem. Rick’s presentation greatly added to our understanding and made us even more in awe of the wondrous bee. We learned of the various types of bees and the roles they play. Some worker bees focus on building the honeycomb, others nursing the larvae, and still others fanning the nectar to evaporate the water and produce honey. Some bees guard the hive from other bees who are always looking to steal honey. Foraging bees collect nectar and pollen (primarily from trees) within a one to two mile radius delivering and foraging all day long. 
The intelligence and non-stop work of the queen was far beyond what I had ever imagined; particularly when Rick explained that the queen bee lays two to three thousand eggs every twenty four hours, which equates to one egg a minute, without rest.

One question from a younger attendees: “Does laying the eggs hurt the queen bee like it hurts a woman?”Rick: “That’s the only question I don’t know the answer to.”

We learned that the bees are fastidiously clean and during overwintering, wait several weeks through the coldest weather to relieve themselves. During this time they vibrate their wings and body to keep the core of the hive and queen warmed to a temperature of around 90 degrees! This during even the coldest of New Hampshire winters. Conversely, during heat spells when the temperature rises above 90 degrees, the house bees use their wings to cool the hive.

Rick kept his audience of young and old fascinated with his gentle respect and care for the beehive, his adventures of outsmarting bears, and his vast knowledge of all things bees. The Nelson Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program “Color My World With Gardening! GROW BY READING!” has a full schedule of events planned. Visit their website to find out how to participate!  https://www.nelsonlibrary.org/srp2025

Winnie's Gold, Raw Nelson Honey, gathered by bees from flowers near Nelson Village. Pound jars $9, two pound jars $15. Call Rick Church at 847-3206