Buy a Brick—New Park in Downtown Hanover Expected by Summer 2026
Ledyard Park Project Launches New Fundraiser
Think summer.
Last spring, I posted on Artful a photo and story about a vacant lot in downtown Hanover that was supposed to be getting a makeover, a future pocket park in the space located on South Main Street between Ledyard Bank and 4U Bubble Tea. Here’s an update from the Upper Valley Business Alliance. While acknowledging that Hanover is often described as a “quintessential New England college town,” it has long lacked “a welcoming outdoor gathering place where residents, students, and visitors can comfortably come together.” (If you are asking “what about the town green?”, that space is actually owned by Dartmouth College.)
“With the support of the Town of Hanover, Ledyard National Bank, The Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation, Dartmouth, the Hanover Rotary Club, the Upper Valley Business Alliance (UVBA), and other key partners, the Ledyard Park Project is moving from vision to reality. A public brick fundraising campaign launches February 1, inviting the community to play a direct role in bringing this new downtown park to life—just in time for Summer 2026.”
Bricks will be offered in two sizes and are customizable.
• 4” x 8” engraved bricks: $300
• 8” x 8” engraved bricks: $600
“Bricks may be purchased in honor or memory of a loved one, to recognize a business or organization, or to leave a personal message as a lasting part of the park. These bricks will be installed in the seating area and will remain a permanent feature of Ledyard Park.
The brick campaign officially launches February 1, with construction scheduled to begin in early April and park completion anticipated by June 1—making this a critical moment for community support. More information and the link to purchase bricks is available at the following link - https://www.explorehanovernh.com/ledyard-park”
The park’s design includes tables, chairs, and granite benches for casual seating and outdoor dining, a movable stage for performances, space for a food truck, a public art installation, and steel gateway structures that frame the park and provide opportunities for shade. Click here to scroll through a few illustrations of the proposed park.
Having a community focal point may be in keeping with the history of that particular spot. In researching my post of last year, readers pointed out to me that the space has a very interesting past. It was the site of Tanzi’s store, “a family business begun in 1897. For decades, it supplied Dartmouth fraternities with wooden kegs of beer, and more so, the rest of the community with groceries and a neighborhood meeting place.” There are a few links in the earlier post (available here) to great stories and local history, including a reference to Nelson Rockefeller once trying to cash a check there and later, kicking off his New Hampshire campaign for the Presidency in front of the Tanzi store in 1963. Also a memory of the fate that befell penny candy-pinching boys if caught in the act.
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, Next Avenue, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.