3: Avery Dam

In 1790, Daniel Avery came to Laconia (then Meredith Bridge) and opened a store in a small building near the Mill Street bridge. As his business increased, Avery did much to enlarge and build up the village. During the early 19th century, he bought significant portions of land that would later become much of downtown Laconia, including the Mill Street dam area. Various attempts at damming the river near the Mill Street Bridge had been attempted for many years. By 1791, Daniel Avery had completed a wooden dam to control the waterpower to the local mills. In 1949, the wooden dam was replaced by a concrete structure, and in 1976, the State Water Resources Board and Allen-Rogers Corporation funded six electronically controlled gates. On the other side of the river are the areas of the original Franco-American neighborhoods, at Avery Hill, east of Union Avenue; in the Winter Street area; and in Lakeport. For years, many people walked down the hill to work in the mills.