Calendar of Classes & Events
Chase’s Mill serves as a workshop for hands-on learning and a community gathering space. Every year from mid-June through September, we offer woodworking and craft workshops, lectures of local interest, hikes, and family-friendly events.
Browse our schedule below to learn more and sign up—or jump directly to one of the following topics:
Financial Assistance
Workshops & Classes
Lectures & Presentations
Social Events, Walks, & Field Trips
Community Woodworking Shop Events
Safety Policies
Calendar of Events (monthly view)
All Upcoming Events (list view)
Calendar
Classes and events take place each year from mid-June through September.
Scroll back through the calendar to view past events. Watch for new events to be added in April.
Financial Assistance
Discounts and fee waivers are available for all classes and workshops at Chase's Mill. You will find instructions and details when you register for a class.
If you have questions or have trouble with the registration form, please contact us.
Community Woodworking Shop Events
Take part in an orientation, then make use of open shop time or the Lumber Bank at our Community Woodworking Shop.
Safety Policies
Please be sure to review our safety policies, as well as our visitor/participant releases. All woodshop or craft class participants will be required to adhere to these polices and to sign a release form prior to participation in those activities.
All Upcoming Events
Growing A Great Garden
Join Celeste for a presentation on the techniques and tricks of growing food. She will share photos and gardening tips, and answer your questions. This information will support your gardening endeavors to provide healthy delicious food for your loved ones.
Tour the Mill
Drop-in tours of the mill begin for the season. Every Saturday and Sunday morning through October 11, stop by between 10am and noon for a tour of the water power turbines, historic woodworking shop, and working models of mills.
Contact us to schedule large group tours (more than six people), tours at other times, or an off-season tour.
Hügelkultur Beds: The Best Raised Beds for Your Garden.
In this workshop you will get the hands on experience of making a hugelkultur bed and discover the benefits of them as well. Together, we will first assemble the 2 boxes we will be filling, with screws and power screwdrivers. The wood will already be precut. Then, as we fill them, we will learn about the basic structure of filling a hügelkultur bed, the benefits and downsides of hügelkultur beds, the materials needed to get started at home and why mimicking nature benefits your garden.
Intro to Power Tools
Would you like to learn to set up and use power tools at the Mill? We will make a boot jack, a mitten/plastic bag dryer, and a cell phone holder as we learn to use the equipment. We will be using the drill press, chop saw, router, jig saw, band saw, table saw, as well as hand tools.
Exploring The History of a Local Forest
During this years hike we will explore the various influences on a forest: glaciers, weather events and human activities (foundations, stone walls, logging). The hike will be 2-3 miles. The terrain is moderate to steep, rocky and uneven at times. Wearing hiking shoes is recommended. Hiking poles are optional. Bring water and bug repellent. Parking is onsite at 77 Peachblow Rd., Alstead, where we will gather to begin the hike.
Sharpen Your Garden Tools
This class is for the frustrated graduates of YouTube University who are looking for real-world skills to finally put an edge on their tools. We're here to replace your confusion with confidence. A sharp tool is a safe tool, and it’s far easier to keep an edge sharp with frequent touch-ups than to resurrect a completely dull one. We'll show you how. You'll learn proven techniques. We'll cover both hand and power sharpening, using a variety of tools including files, oil stones, and waterstones. For those interested, there will be an opportunity to try out power sharpeners.You'll learn the 'Why' behind the 'How' by discussing the different characteristics of metal, proper tool care, and essential safety practices.
Bring Your Old Steel! In most cases, old tools had the best steel. If you have old, forgotten garden tools or garden shears lying around, bring them! It might be time to resurrect them and enjoy the same quality tool someone else has for decades.
You'll leave this class with the practical ability to put an edge on your own tools and the knowledge to keep them sharp for years to come.
An Afternoon of Family Games
Bring your own game or join local game designer Will Miller in playtesting a variety of prototypes of his family-friendly card and board games. An assortment of other tabletop games will also be available.
Watercolor Basics (Day 1)
This two day introduction to watercolor will help both the beginner and those who wonder how to start. We will talk about paper, paints, brushes, and needed supplies. We will cover terminology and try out techniques and tools. Donna will supply a watercolor pad for each participant and will have extra brushes and paints to use for the lessons, if needed. Bring any watercolor supplies you have, or if you haven't started painting yet, just bring yourself and a willingness to experiment and play with this wonderful medium.
Watercolor Basics (Day 2)
This two day introduction to watercolor will help both the beginner and those who wonder how to start. We will talk about paper, paints, brushes, and needed supplies. We will cover terminology and try out techniques and tools. Donna will supply a watercolor pad for each participant and will have extra brushes and paints to use for the lessons, if needed. Bring any watercolor supplies you have, or if you haven't started painting yet, just bring yourself and a willingness to experiment and play with this wonderful medium.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell
Quilts tell stories, and quilt history is full of myths and misinformation as well as heart-warming tales of service and tradition. Nearly every world culture that has cold weather uses quilted textiles – quilting is NOT just an American art. Pam Weeks weaves world history, women's history, industrial history and just plain wonderful stories into her presentation. Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification and/or story sharing. Prompted in part by the material culture at hand, the presenter may speak about fashion fads, the Colonial Revival, quilt making for Civil War soldiers, and anything else quilt-related she can squeeze in.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Strathspeys, Airs & Grace Notes - Ethereal Beauties of Celtic Music
Randy will play a selection of some of the beautiful melodies of Ireland, Scotland, and New England, culled from his fifty-five-year immersion in traditional music. Listen to airs, strathspeys, tributes, harp tunes, and waltzes played in Randy’s gifted, warmhearted style, on fiddle, accordion, and piano. Hearing these beauties in the splendid great room at Chase’s Mill offers you an opportunity to unwind and relax, to find inspiration, and to be transported!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Waste Not, Want Not: Composting as if it Really Matters
Turn your household waste into soil food. Care for your garden and land by diverting waste and sequestering carbon. Replace store-bought fertilizers and amendments with your own, made from kitchen waste, old clothing, leaves, cardboard, eggshells, bones, and fermented plants. We'll cover the basics of compost pile construction, making your own potting mix for seed starting, and brewing and application of fermented plant food. We'll take a look through a microscope at soil microbial life, and witness the biology that supports us from the ground up. This workshop will be hosted just down the road from the Mill, at Steppingstone Commons, a diversified community farm.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Open Paper Crafts Studio
Drop in any Thursday evening for an informal paper craft time. No need to buy anything - dig through your craft drawer and bring what you have or go through our bin of papers. We'll have scissors, glue, rulers and a well-lit space. Each week we'll have instruction/ guidance in a different paper art. Follow along or do your own thing! This is a time to share ideas and creative energy!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Shibori Cloth Dyeing
Shibori is the Japanese art of indigo dyeing. Participants will get the opportunity to experiment with different methods of creating designs on fabric by tying, folding, clamping and gathering fabric. Watching the reaction of indigo dye as it oxidizes and turns the fabric from white to brilliant green and finally settling on a beautiful blue is part of the fun. The resulting fabric will be colorfast in the washing machine but will fade in the sun. Bring rubber gloves if you have them. Cotton and linen fabrics will be made availble, and if you have any at home you'd like to dye, bring them with you as well.
Open Paper Crafts Studio
Drop in any Thursday evening for an informal paper craft time. No need to buy anything - dig through your craft drawer and bring what you have or go through our bin of papers. We'll have scissors, glue, rulers and a well-lit space. Each week we'll have instruction/ guidance in a different paper art. Follow along or do your own thing! This is a time to share ideas and creative energy!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
La Frontière
La Frontière is a poetic documentary portrait of Northern Maine’s borderlands. Through interviews, vérité moments and scenic landscapes, this 35-minute film takes viewers on an exploration of the history and culture of the six-hundred and eleven mile-long border between Maine and its northern neighbors Quebec and New Brunswick.
The film features stories from Wabanaki and Acadian communities, farmers, people who used to work and live at Loring Air Force Base, young women competing in the annual Potato Blossom Festival, and many others. It is a story of connection, resilience, and the subtle yet profound impact of borders on both individuals and communities.
Spoon Carving
Come carve a spoon! Learn to work with the grain of the wood using gouges and knives to shape a unique creation and return home with a functional and beautiful utensil. This class will include an introduction to edge tools and carving safety.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Craft Traditions Documented In Clay
The inspiration of this workshop is to make a hanging piece of artwork made of tiles that will be permanently displayed at the mill, that documents the different kinds of crafts that have sustained and enhanced our community over the years. During the workshop, each participant will be making two tiles, highlighting their chosen craft. One will be left for the mill as part of the display, and the other may be taken home when finished. Each participant will draw a simple scene on paper depicting the craft they choose and then it will be transferred onto a tile by painting or carving it into the clay.
The tiles will be finished 2 weeks after the initial class. At this time they will be returned to the mill and assembled into the wall hanging. This part is not required by participants but is encouraged. They may pick up their own tiles to take home at this point. The date for assembling the wall hanging will be determined while at the tile making (first) session.) Folks will have to be flexible as to their subject matter. For example we don't want 6 tiles on quilting. We want to cover as many crafts as possible. I will have a list of possibilities on hand.
Open Paper Crafts Studio
Drop in any Thursday evening for an informal paper craft time. No need to buy anything - dig through your craft drawer and bring what you have or go through our bin of papers. We'll have scissors, glue, rulers and a well-lit space. Each week we'll have instruction/ guidance in a different paper art. Follow along or do your own thing! This is a time to share ideas and creative energy!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Tea and Coffee at the Mill
You are invited to drop by this informal social gathering at Chase’s Mill. There will be coffee, tea, and some baked goods to enjoy. Mill around and chat with your neighbors. We encourage you to bring your favorite coffee cup.
Story Slam: Connecting through Craft
In the spirit of New York’s original “The Moth” storytelling slams, we’re bringing back “The Earwig,” an open-mic night for sharing and/or listening to 5-minute, true personal stories on a the theme of Connecting Through Craft. Entertain and be entertained, learn about others and let them learn about you, then vote for and (just maybe) win a prize for best story.
Singing Games Which Have Stood the Test of Time
In this workshop, I will share many simple songs and games that have been passed down through the generations by children and by teachers. I will also pass on songs and dances shared with me by some members of the Mill Hollow community. Attendees will be invited to participate in the movements of the dances and songs. I will bring some song words and materials to share. If you would like to record the session bring a recording device with you. This is a workshop for adults.
Midsummer Medicinal Plant Walk
Join herbalist and East Alstead local Anne Fletcher for a guided midsummer walk exploring the medicinal plants of our area. We will learn to identify common wild herbs, trees, and shrubs while discussing traditional uses, ecological highlights, and the history of herbalism here in Alstead. This walk is designed for beginners. Expect a relaxed pace and time for discussion and questions. The walk will be about one mile on varied terrain. Wear weather appropriate clothes and shoes that can get muddy.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Open Paper Crafts Studio
Drop in any Thursday evening for an informal paper craft time. No need to buy anything - dig through your craft drawer and bring what you have or go through our bin of papers. We'll have scissors, glue, rulers and a well-lit space. Each week we'll have instruction/ guidance in a different paper art. Follow along or do your own thing! This is a time to share ideas and creative energy!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Mill Hollow in 1919: When Utopia Met Convention
Margaret Chase and Hartley Dennett were unconventional for Alstead in the early years of the 20th century. They lived together for 20 years without being married, they shared the same unisex clothes, and had radical political, social, economic, education and philosophical ideas. But what were their "conventional" neighbors doing? How did the utopians and the traditionalists live side by side? Through letters, diaries, and one very exciting community meeting in East Alstead in 1919 we can get some clues.
Making an Outdoor Bench
If you are a relative newby to woodworking and you would like to make something usable in just one class, join us to make this simple outdoor wooden bench. In this three hour class we will walk you through the steps to construct a sturdy bench for your garden or yard. This workshop is designed for people new to woodworking who wish to have exposure to using both hand and power tools, including the table saw, the chop saw, a drill, a tape measure, and a sander.
Making Birch Bark Decorations
Making ornaments from natural materials like birch bark is a wonderful way to give special gifts without breaking the bank. In this class, we will weave one birch bark bird and one eight-pointed star. If there is time, additional items may be created as well.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Open Paper Crafts Studio
Drop in any Thursday evening for an informal paper craft time. No need to buy anything - dig through your craft drawer and bring what you have or go through our bin of papers. We'll have scissors, glue, rulers and a well-lit space. Each week we'll have instruction/ guidance in a different paper art. Follow along or do your own thing! This is a time to share ideas and creative energy!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Writing Portrait Stories
Come join a one-time journey into imagination and creative writing in which we bring to life people from the 19th century that we only know from their photographs. Choose from a collection of pictures (or bring your own) of long-forgotten men and women, give them a name and brief life story. Based on the bio you have imagined for them and what you see in their faces, give them a voice – what they would tell another person on the train, for instance, about their interests, successes, disappointments, etc.
Connecting Through Collage to Your Animal Guide
In this workshop we will create 2 collages on 5"x 8"mat board. The card making will center around the discovery of our animal guide. In the beginning of the workshop, we will be using Jamie Sams and David Carson's Animal Medicine Card Deck to find out who our animal guide is. We will then choose pictures from images that will be on hand. Arranging the images on the cards, we will use scissors and glue to secure them onto the cards. At the end of the workshop we will have time for reflection and sharing with one another.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Fix It and Tune Up Your Bicycle
Spend the afternoon learning the in's and out's of repairing and tuning your bike. A great skill to learn if you enjoy biking. There will be tools on hand, but if you have some of your own you'd like to use, feel free to use them. A note from Kurt: although I am quite experienced with bicycle maintenance, I do not have experience with hydraulic brakes, electronic shifting, or suspension, so if that is the primary maintenance you need, this class will likely not be adequate for your bike.
Open Paper Crafts Studio
Drop in any Thursday evening for an informal paper craft time. No need to buy anything - dig through your craft drawer and bring what you have or go through our bin of papers. We'll have scissors, glue, rulers and a well-lit space. Each week we'll have instruction/ guidance in a different paper art. Follow along or do your own thing! This is a time to share ideas and creative energy!
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Wonder Women Bingo!
Get Motivated by the Grit of Groundbreaking Women! Using stories from Women Make History: Fifty-Three Stories of Courage, Strength & Resilience, "Wonder Women Bingo" is a fun way to celebrate and learn about unsung women of American history. Your Bingo card will feature trailblazing pioneers from the colonial era through the end of the 20th century. Test your knowledge, reclaim our role models, and get inspired while winning prizes and honoring the women on whose shoulders we stand! Note: Purchase a book in advance and bring it to the event to be entered in a special raffle! Books are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Toadstool in Keene, or Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls. They will also be available at the event!
Beginners Guide to Mosaics: Crafting a Stepping Stone (Class 1)
Mosaic making is a splendid, versatile art form with endless creative possibilities. In this introduction to mosaics class, you will be designing and making your own stepping stone for use in your garden or home. You will learn the basics of mosaic art: designing, cutting tile, and grouting your work to complete your piece. By the end of this class you will have acquired the skills to continue to craft your own projects at home.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Beginners Guide to Mosaics: Crafting a Stepping Stone (Class 2)
Mosaic making is a splendid, versatile art form with endless creative possibilities. In this introduction to mosaics class, you will be designing and making your own stepping stone for use in your garden or home. You will learn the basics of mosaic art: designing, cutting tile, and grouting your work to complete your piece. By the end of this class you will have acquired the skills to continue to craft your own projects at home.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Magic Stools
Using hand and power tools we will construct stools that magically slide together. They can be easily taken apart for storage if desired.
We will be using the chop saw, router, band saw, table saw, jig saw, and hand tools. This is a beginner level class.
The Craft of Poetry, and Poetry about Crafts
Writing a poem about a favorite image or object, whether a painting, a photograph or crafted object (also know as ekphrastic poetry) is an enjoyable way to explore subjects that are meaningful to us. In this session we will look at and discuss examples of poems based on visual images, and spend time working on poems of our own. You can bring an object to inspire you, or use one of the images available at the workshop.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Weaving a Wee Black Ash Basket
Weave a small basket using materials from the Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra). Black ash is an amazing tree that grows in the Northeast and has been traditionally used for basket making for generations. Its growth rings separate easily when pounded, creating strong, flexible splints that are perfect for weaving. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the basics of black ash basket weaving techniques and create your own piece. Everyone will leave with a finished basket approximately 4" × 4".
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Open Shop Time
If you have attended a wood shop class at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 18 through August 27. Sunday, July 5 the shop will be closed.
Walking the Kroka Trails
Let's take a hike through the beautiful forested trails on Kroka's land. We will walk the grassy brook trail exploring beaver activity, animal tracks, the mossy landscape and the remnants of glacial movements through the area. The hike will be approximately 2 miles long. The well established single tracked paths follow the terrain of the landscape.
Hefty sneakers or hiking boots are recommended for walking gear. There can be muddy places if there's been rainfall.
We'll park and meet at the Kroka Trailhead parking, 767 NH Rte 123, Marlow, NH
Bring water and a snack. Optional: hiking poles
Beeswax Candle Making with a Special Twist
In this class we will make beeswax candles to be enjoyed during the darker days of winter. These candles are made using Japanese Knotweed as a mold and Dogbane cordage for the wicks. These candles are special because they are made using local plants and provide a unique way to utilize invasive knotweed. You will learn how to make reverse wrap cordage from dogbane fibers, learn the process of making candles using knotweed stalk segments as molds, and learn a bit about the natural history of both plants involved. Everyone will go home with at least two candles!
Spring Clean
Volunteer opportunity! Help ready Chase’s Mill for the new season of tours, classes, and projects. There is a wide variety of tasks to suit every person, from sweeping and vacuuming to unpacking boxes, washing windows, and refreshing the bulletin board. Join us for all or part of the morning.
Contact Jill with questions at hello@chasesmill.org
Autumn Celebration
Gather with community members at Chase’s Mill to celebrate the end of a successful 2025 season. We will press apples to make fresh cider, eat doughnuts right from the cooker, and visit with friends and neighbors.
Field Trip to Alstead Historical Society
With: Ann Acheson
Trip Fee: donations may be made at the Alstead Historical Society
Trip Size: 10 / all ages
Step back in time with us as we visit the Alstead Historical Museum. The Alstead Historical Society operates out of a restored 19th-century church. The museum houses a wide range of exhibits, including collections of furniture, textiles, tools, and other everyday objects from the town's past. The upper floor is set up to replicate life in Alstead in the 18th and 19th centuries which gives you a sense of how folks lived in this community.
There is direct access to the second floor for those with the inablility to climb stairs.
We will meet at 9:30 am at the museum in Alstead Village. The address is 16 Pleasant Street. Parking is available on Bragg Lane.
Ann Acheson enjoys going on field trips! She currently serves on the Mill Hollow Heritage Association's Board of Trustees.
Beginners Guide to Mosaics: Crafting a Stepping Stone (Class 2)
Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31, Noon-4pm
With: Chloe Barcelou
This is the second class in a two-class program.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Book Swap at the Library
With: Alyson Montgomery and Kathy Torrey
Adults only
Come gather with community members at the Shedd-Porter Memorial Library in Alstead for a fun evening to talk about our favorite books, share recommendations, and celebrate reading! We will also swap books, so bring a few to trade, if you like! Enjoy the beautiful library, the company of fellow book lovers, and a chance to refresh your collection. Please take home unclaimed books.
Alyson Montgomery, as the Director of Shedd-Porter, can't wait to welcome the Chase's Mill community to the library! She looks forward to sharing her love of books and reading with you!
Kathy Torrey is a library trustee and a co-chair of the Mill Programs Team. Books and community gatherings are lifelong interests of hers.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Torn Paper Collage
With: Amy Stodola
Class Fee: $25
Materials Fee: $5
Class Size: 4 -12 / Adults only
This simple collage technique creates beautiful collages from readily available materials.It is easy to learn and fun to do. In this two hour class, you will create new images out of images torn from magazines. Then you will apply your chosen images to a support using glue.
Amy Stodola has always enjoyed arts and crafts, including painting and fiber arts. She became interested in collage during the pandemic. She enjoys sharing this fun technique with others.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Making Birch Bark Decorations
With: Emma Kuester and Hale Morrell
Class Fee: $40/adult; $60/adult and child pair
Materials Fee: $5 / participant
Class Size: 6-10 max / All ages
Making ornaments from natural materials like birch bark is a wonderful way to give special gifts without breaking the bank. In this class, we will weave one birch bark bird and one eight-pointed star. If there is time, additional items may be created as well.
Emma Kuester moved to this area from Illinois 2 years ago with her dog, Macy. She is passionate about making any craft that comes her way. Since moving to New England, she has been deepening her basketry, wool, and leather making skills.
Hale Morrell lives in Walpole, NH and works as a forester in Cheshire County, NH and Windham County, VT. She loves carrying on the tradition of historical crafting by learning about them and sharing them with others.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Marble Madness: Making a Wood Marble Run
With: Juliana Stevens and Bob Brown
Class Fee: $30/adult; $45/adult and child pair
Class Size: 10 / Appropriate for children 8+ with accompanying adult
Create your own marble run using hand tools with wood provided by the Mill. Demonstrate how marble runs work and then bring home your creation. No experience necessary.
Juliana Stevens is a lifelong resident of Alstead. She found her love of reading at Edith Chase’s preschool and pounded lots of nails at Chase’s Mill. She is a retired teacher who taught physical education in grades kindergarten through college.
Bob Brown is a retired science educator and administrator, having taught at Fall Mountain Regional High School for many years. Now an Alstead resident, he summered in Mill Hollow throughout his childhood and worked closely with Heman Chase at the Mill and surveying. Bob oversaw the rehabilitation of Chase’s Mill and its water power.
Alstead in the 1700s: the Origins of Community
With: Randy Miller
Event Fee: by donation
Event Size: 50 / adults only
Today I climbed the hill alone,
And stood beside the arch of stone.
The landscape smiled beneath the sun;
The strong wind waved the ripened corn.
The sunshine glorified the trees,
And roused to life the drowsy bees.
from "Autumn in a New Hampshire Village" by Arthur W. Anderson (1919)
Please join me in climbing this particular hill of history: a detailed look at the origins of Alstead in the 18th century. Since moving into town in the early 1970s, I have collected many stories and historical tidbits of the town. Through scores of visits to the Cheshire County Registry of Deeds in Keene, leafing page-by-page through the old leather-bound volumes, I have collected abstracts of EVERY deed transaction in the town of Alstead in its first 30 years of settlement - from 1763 to 1793! I created a map of the town that accurately superimposes the original Lots and Ranges onto a current USGS map, to reveal where lay the farmsteads, the town center, and school and minister's lots.
Randy Miller first settled in East Alstead in the spring of 1973. He is a graphic artist and professional musician. His wood engraving "Brook in Winter" was used on the front cover of the Alstead Town Report (1975), and he illustrated Heman Chase's book, "More Than Land." He is the author of "A History of the Second Congregational Church of Alstead, N.H. - 1788-1988," and recently published "Music from Mill Hollow" containing his musical compositions and autobiographical story.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
A Nature Walk with Michael Nerrie at Distant Hill
With: Michael Nerrie
Walk Fee: By donation
Walk Size: 15 / all ages
Join Michael for a guided exploration of Distant Hill Nature Trail as he shares his knowlegde and passion for this peice of land that he and his partner have been in relationship with for many years. The walk is about a mile on smooth, gently sloped gravel trails, that are suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.No special footwear or gear is required.
We will meet and park at the Distant Hill Nature Trail pavilion at 66 March Hill Road, Alstead, NH.
Michael Nerrie is the designer, builder, and resident naturalist at Distant Hill Gardens and Nature Trail, a non-profit environmental and horticultural learning center he started in 2019, located on a 155-acre property in Walpole and Alstead, NH.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Sharpening Scissors, Knives, and Chisels
With: Jason Breen
Class Fee: $40
Class Size: 6 / Ages 16 and older
Using grinding wheels and and hand sharpening stones, we move on from garden tools in the first tool sharpening class, to learn how to safely sharpen scissors, knives, or chisels. Bring some dull scissors to class and return home with sharp ones!
Jason Breen is a Brattleboro-based custom furniture maker and member of the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers. He studied instrument building and history at Marlboro College, which he paid for by building timber frames and cabinets. Traditional tools have inspired his work ever since he inherited his ancestors’ hand planes.
Books from Repurposed Materials
With: Nancy Botkin
Class Fee: $30/adult; $45/adult and child pair
Class Size: 8 / Appropriate for children 8+ with accompanying adult
With free materials from your recycling bin or trash, X-Acto knives, glue, needle, and thread, we will make artistic / "junk" journals, sketchbooks, or notebooks. Be prepared to have fun!
Nancy Botkin is the granddaughter of Edith and Heman Chase. She spends her winters at her home in San Francisco making books, playing with paper, and taking classes at the San Francisco Center for the Book. She then teaches book arts in the summer. This is her fifth year teaching at Chase's Mill.
Women Make History: Stories We Should Have Learned in School
With: Sharon Spaulding
Event Fee: by donation
Event Size: 50 / family friendly
The inventor of GPS who couldn't find a job. The ACLU co-founder who was booted from the group for being too radical. The 16-year-old who rode twice the distance of Paul Revere to warn of approaching British troops. Join us for the inspiring stories of these and other groundbreaking women who changed the course of history and then were mostly forgotten.
Since 2011, Sharon Spaulding has been researching and writing the stories of groundbreaking women who accomplished remarkable things and then fell into the shadows of history. For the last five years, she has produced a monthly newsletter, Women Make History: Stories we should have learned in school. A collection of these stories will be published this fall. She is also at work on a book about suffragist and reproductive rights activist Mary Ware Dennett. When not in Alstead during the summers, she lives outside Salt Lake City with her husband, and their dog, Hank.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Hooked on Rugs
With: Tricia Miller
Class Fee: $20
Class Size: 6-10 / teens to adults
Why is rug hooking being rediscovered as an outlet for creativity, imagination, community and fun? Hear about the roots of this tradition that morphed from a humble craft into an art. Many hooked pieces will be on display showing how methods and styles have changed over the years. There will be a demonstration of the process of how a hooked piece is created from an idea to an actual rug or mat. Attendees will be offered the opportunity to try out hooking. If there is interest, a beginner class will be scheduled.
Tricia Miller began hooking rugs in 1983. She has been inducted into the Rug Hooker Hall of Fame sponsored by Rug Hooking Magazine and has won many awards for her work, most recently in 2024 with Viewers' Choice for her entry in Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs 34.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Intolerable Severity: Women and Divorce in 19th Century New England
With: Gail Golec
Event Fee: by donation
Event Size: 50 / adults only
For a time in the latter half of the 19th century, Vermont had some of the most progressive divorce laws in the Northeast. Contrary to the alarmist news media of the time, it wasn’t people from out of state moving to Vermont just to game the system - it was by and large local people and by and large, women choosing this legal option to end their marriages. At a time when women had very little agency, be they married, widowed, or single, these divorce laws became a life saving option for many. But it wasn’t just rich and well-connected people who got divorces; rich and poor had to rely on an undocumented network of other women, divorcees, sympathetic lawyers, family, and friends to protect themselves, their children, and property. This discussion covers a study of 180 divorce cases from Windsor County Vermont from 1871-1880, shedding light on this little known part of our local history.
Gail Golec is a professional archaeologist, who has worked on sites around New England for over 20 years. She currently works for Monadnock Archaeological Consulting. Gail was born and raised in New Hampshire and developed an interest in local history at an early age. Most recently, she has taken her years of research and funneled it into writing, producing and hosting a podcast about local history called The Secret Life of Death. www.thesecretlifeofdeath.com. Recently, Gail became a board member of the Mill Hollow Heritage Association.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Map Folding and Letter Locking
With: Nancy Botkin and Juliana Stevens
Class Fee: $30/adult; $45/adult and child pair
Materials Fee: $10 / participant
Class Size: 8-10 / Appropriate for children 8+ with accompanying adult
From the intrepid wanderer to the secret lover, folding paper has long been a creative challenge.
Come learn techniques for paper folding, from the practical to the whimsical. In addition, we will learn different ways of letter locking to keep prying eyes out!
Each participant will take home their samples as well as some tools so they can keep practicing: a bone folder, sealing wax, and a stamp.
Nancy Botkin is the granddaughter of Edith and Heman Chase. She spends her winters at her home in San Francisco making books, playing with paper, and taking classes at the San Francisco Center for the Book. She then teaches book arts in the summer. This is her fifth year teaching at Chase's Mill.
Juliana Stevens is a lifelong resident of Alstead. She found her love of reading at Edith Chase’s preschool and pounded lots of nails at Chase’s Mill. She is a retired teacher who taught physical education in grades kindergarten through college.
Technology Comes to Mill Hollow
With: Margaret Chase Perry and Nancy Botkin
Event Fee: By donation
Event Size: 50 / Family friendly
We will continue the celebration with Margaret Perry and her most recent accomplishment: Modern Times Come to Mill Hollow: The Technology and Cultural Changes Discussed in the Chase/Dennett Family Letters. This book launch will involve a short reading, time for discussion with the author, and a book signing. Her previous collection of letters Building the Mill will also be available.
Margaret Chase Perry is the daughter of Heman and Edith Chase. She is the archivist of the extensive collection of Chase family letters.
Nancy Botkin is the granddaughter of Edith and Heman Chase. She spends her winters at her home in San Francisco making books, playing with paper, and taking classes at the San Francisco Center for the Book. She then teaches book arts in the summer. This is her fifth year teaching at Chase's Mill.
Open Shop Time
With: Greg Weisel, Woodworking Shop Steward
Chase's Mill is very excited to provide open shop time for the community. There is no charge for using the shop or tools; participants supply their own raw materials.
If you have attended a wood shop class or a Woodworking Shop Orientation session at Chase's Mill, you may drop in to use our tools and equipment during open shop time - Thursdays 6pm-8pm and Sundays 9am-noon from June 26 through August 28, EXCEPT Thursday, July 3 and Sunday, July 6. The shop will be closed those days.
While Chase’s Mill maintains hand and power tools from the 19th century for education and demonstration, we also have everything you would hope to find in a 21st century woodworking shop.
Back this year - the Lumber Bank. Need one more piece of wood? Want to make something small? Shop our by-donation Lumber Bank and get going right away.
Before using a power tool, Greg Weisel, our Woodworking Shop Steward, will give you a brief safety orientation to that machine. Greg is available during each open shop time to provide guidance, help with tools, and maintain our safety policies. Feeling shy about working on a self-directed project or rusty about your skills? Come in and make a simple project like a cutting board or a plant stand to get warmed up.
Youth ages 9+ are welcome to use hand tools during open shop time with an accompanying adult, and, after either completing a woodworking class at Chase's Mill or attending a one-hour Woodworking Shop Orientation, offered in 2025 on Thursday, June 26 from 6-7pm and Sunday, June 29 from 9-10am.
Contact Jill Hall jhall@chasesmill.org with questions.
Remembering Together: An Evening of Sharing Stories from Mill Hollow's Past. How We Lived, Our Friends, and the Things We Did: 1960's -1980's
With: Jim Gruber
Event Fee: by donation
Event Size: 50 / family friendly
We will gather in the community room of the Mill for an evening of reflections and stories of what it was like to be part of the community of Mill Hollow in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Many were drawn to this area, many were already here. Come and listen or come and share your memories. If you want to share a story and you have a picture or two to include, please send them to Jim Gruber: jgruber@antioch.edu. Pictures are needed at least 3 days before the event (by July 15th).
Jim Gruber arrived in Mill Hollow in 1978. He worked with Heman Chase to do Mill structural repairs and to restart the woodworking classes for kids on Saturdays. He lived in the Brick House with Mary Burroughs his first year in New Hampshire, and cut out the timbers in the Mill for his house that he and his family live in. He served on the Board of Chase's Mill for 6 years. He is now semi-retired and currently serving in the NH House.
Event photo: Heman and Edith Chase and youth woodworkers, 1960s - courtesy of Bruce Bellows and the Alstead Historical Society.
This class is for the frustrated graduates of YouTube University who are looking for real-world skills to finally put an edge on their tools. We're here to replace your confusion with confidence. A sharp tool is a safe tool, and it’s far easier to keep an edge sharp with frequent touch-ups than to resurrect a completely dull one. We'll show you how. You'll learn proven techniques. We'll cover both hand and power sharpening, using a variety of tools including files, oil stones, and waterstones. For those interested, there will be an opportunity to try out power sharpeners.You'll learn the 'Why' behind the 'How' by discussing the different characteristics of metal, proper tool care, and essential safety practices.
Bring Your Old Steel! In most cases, old tools had the best steel. If you have old, forgotten garden tools or garden shears lying around, bring them! It might be time to resurrect them and enjoy the same quality tool someone else has for decades.
You'll leave this class with the practical ability to put an edge on your own tools and the knowledge to keep them sharp for years to come.