Abbott-Downing Neighborhood Association

The History of the Concord Coach.

The History of the Concord Coach.

In the golden age of the stagecoach, there were some exceptionally fine coaches transporting travelers and mail in style on some often very rudimentary roads. These were the famous Concord Coaches, built in the shops of Downing and Abbott in Concord, New Hampshire.

The story begins back in 1813 when Lewis Downing arrived in Concord with a few tools to repair and build wagons and carriages. Soon after, J. Stephen Abbott joined him and the first Downing and Abbott stagecoach was delivered in 1827 to John Shepard. On January 1, 1828, the Downing and Abbott partnership was formally organized and continued until 1847 when each started his own business. In 1865, Lewis Downing retired and his son rejoined the Abbotts to build more Concord Coaches. This time the company was called Abbott-Downing.

Their coaches were patterned after the English vehicles mentioned by Dickens in the Pickwick Papers as “rattling about.” But Abbott and Downing improved them so they rattled very little. These two men set strict standards. As a result of their dedication to quality, each coach was built to withstand rugged encounters with ruts, rocks, ravines, freshet—and even the occasional arrow.

The Concord Coach’s reputation soon spread and, before long, Downing and Abbott were filling orders for people across the country and as far away as Europe, South America, Africa, and Australia. During this era, about 3,000 coaches were built. Each weighed more than a ton, and seated as many as 12 people inside and an additional nine passengers outside. The average cost: $1,000 per coach.

At its height, the coach-building industry employed more than 300 Concord area residents and operated a factory site that covered more than six acres. Highly skilled blacksmiths, harness makers, artisans, joiners, and trimmers were among the craftsmen who turned out the impressive coaches. Drawn by four to six horses, the Concord Coach embodied reliability, attention to detail, and outstanding performance. It played a major role in opening up the West.

Quite appropriately, the Concord Coach has become established as The Concord Group Insurance Companies’ corporate symbol...a tangible, fitting portrayal of dedication, stability, and excellence. Coach No. 80, which was built around 1850, was completely restored in 1971 and now is on display in our Concord, NH headquarters.

The Story of Coach #80

The Early Days of Coach #80 in the Lakes Region.
Coach #80, built by Lewis Downing and Son in 1850, has survived many interesting experiences. It was ordered for a stage line in Lake Village, NH (now Lakeport) and later came into the hands of Harrison Sibley and Company, who were traders at Lake Village. Then Leander D. Sinclair of Ossipee, NH bought this coach from the Sibley Company. Mr. Sinclair, who came from Essex, VT in 1825, was connected with the stage business in that area until the railroad reached West Ossipee in 1870. His Dover and Conway Stage Company served that route through the 1830s and 1840s. In 1851, when the Great Falls and Conway Railroad had reached Milton, NH, Sinclair organized the Great Falls and Conway Stage Company to take passengers from Milton to Conway and towns along the way. Coach #80 was one of the coaches used on this route, and was kept with the other coaches and horses at Ames Tavern in West Ossipee.

Ames Tavern was a famous hostelry built in 1803 by Ephriam Knight who had bought 100 acres of land in Ossipee for just $1.20. The same year the Ossipee Town records stated: “We the subscribers approbate Mr. Ephriam Knight to keep a Publick House agreeable to the Law of the State.” Knight owned it until his death in 1823.

Coach #80 Survives Its First Fire.

The next owner was Israel Ames who operated it as Ames Tavern until 1866, then sold it to Henry J. Banks of Tamworth, NH. Banks Hotel was busier than ever when the railroad began to arrive daily in 1870.

Leander D. Sinclair sold his horses and coaches in 1870 to Canney and Perkins, who in 1873, sold them to James H. Plummer of Gilford, NH, who had just purchased Banks Hotel and renamed it the Bearcamp River House. Later Plummer sold all the coaches but one, keeping Coach #80 which he redecorated to carry the name of his hotel. Coach #80 was used to transport guests from the railroad station to the inn and for sightseeing trips.

Sweetser’s 1876 Guide to the White Mountains describes the Inn as accommodating 75 guests at $7 to $14 a week and “finely situated near the W. Ossipee Railroad Station and the Bearcamp River in a pleasant and quiet neighborhood.” A livery stable was connected to the hotel and stages left for Center Harbor, Tamworth, and Sandwich every day after the arrival of the northbound train.

Poet John Greenleaf Whittier often rode Coach #80 when he visited the Bearcamp River House. First staying there in 1867, Whittier enjoyed the region and was inspired to write many poems based on his experiences here, including Among the Hills and Sunset on the Bearcamp. He became friends with many local people, among them the Knox family who lived near the inn. Ephriam Knight Knox often arranged hunting parties for Whittier and his friends. In 1880, the Bearcamp River House burned, but Coach #80 escaped the fire and went on to other adventures.