September 18, 2021
Nancy Cook has been chosen by the Association of Rollinsford Culture and History (ARCH) as the recipient of the 2021 ARCH Heritage Award, presented annually to a person who has made significant contributions to the preservation of the history, heritage and culture of Rollinsford and the lower Salmon Falls region.
The Heritage Award was presented to Nancy at Salmon Falls Family Fun Day on September 18 at the American Legion Park on Foundry Street in Rollinsford. The award presentation was followed by a reception honoring Nancy at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House.
As the art teacher at Rollinsford Grade School since 1994, Nancy has integrated an appreciation for local history into her art classes for students of all grades, including lessons on the natural history of the Salmon Falls River, early colonial settlers, and the textile mill history. In 2012, Nancy initiated and organized the 75th anniversary celebration of Rollinsford Grade School which brought the community’s history to life through skits, art, film, displays, and music. She fully outfitted a complete recreation of a 1936 classroom in the school, which was designed in the Colonial Revival style by the famous local architect Eric Huddleston.
A respected authority on textiles and fiber arts, especially weaving, Nancy has been a frequent volunteer at events at the Wentworth House, including school visits, living history events, and craft demonstrations. Most significantly, she trained and led a team of volunteers who hand sewed bed hangings for the canopy bed in the east chamber of the Wentworth House, and created curtains for other rooms at the house.
Nancy and her husband Peter have welcomed diverse groups of people to Tare Shirt Farm, their nationally known mid-18th century working farm in Berwick which includes orchards, period buildings, and early breeds of livestock, along with a significant collection of looms, spinning wheels, and other fiber art tools.
Congratulations Nancy, for this well-deserved award!