History of the Village of Cloughville in Hopkinton, New Hampshir by Sylvia Clough Willoughby

It was in the year 1806 James Clough 4 and his son William Clough 5 bought 360 acres of forest land of Nathaniel Appleton Have and John Pierce, both of Portsmouth, Mass., a committee of the Proprietors of Masons Patent appointed by their vote at a legal meeting held at Portsmouth, Jan 1, 1806.

It was situated in the west part of Hopkinton near a beautiful lake, and said to be all the land in that Section which had not been sold. James and his son William moved onto the land and built a cabin in which to live, also a mill. They then cut down the forest and cleared the land preparatory to building a home. In due time they accomplished their task and the little village was called Cloughville and the Lake Clough Pond.

For many, many years this little village was owned and carried on by the Generations of Cloughs. Some were carpenters, shoemakers, printers, and all farmed, and every generation worked in the mill where they sawed logs with an old fashioned up and down saw. They made wooden tubs in which those days were called kits.

My Great Grandfather Charles Clough, William's youngest son was a fine carpenter, made bedsteads, lightstands, tables, carts, hay rakes. He had a small shop with a sign out front as that was what they were called in those days. They also at one time had a thrashing machine that run by water-power, and farmers from far and near brought their grain to be thrashed as many of the farmers in those days raised their rye, wheat, corn, and other grains.

Joseph Clough and Sylvia, his sister, were the last of the Cloughs to own Cloughville. They never married and this had always been their home. In 1910 Clough Pond was officially changed to Jo-Sylvia Lake for my Great Uncle Jo & Aunt Sylvia who were the last to own Cloughville.

It was not until 1917, after the death of Joseph, and Sylvia went to live with her sister, Josie Duston, who was the mother of Artie Duston, that Cloughville was sold to NY Gentlemen, Mr. Price and Mr. Pick, who established a Jewish Boys camp. It was then that the name Cloughville was changed to Camp Merrimack [sic].

Sylvia Clough Willoughby is the great granddaughter of Charles Clough whose grandfather James Clough was the founder of Cloughville. Sylvia lives in Contoocook, NH and has a cabin across Joe-Sylvia Lake, also known as Clement Pond. Many other relatives of the Cloughs still reside in Contoocook and the surrounding towns.

Cloughville becomes a Youth Camp

As Ms. Clough Willoughby describes in her history of Cloughville, two gentlemen from New York state began a camp for Jewish boys called Camp Merrimac. They ran Camp Merrimac until the mid-1950s when Mr. Werner Rothchild and Mr. Robert Martin (we know it was really Bomze. Also I am told by Amy Farber that there was a third purchaser) purchased the property. Keeping the name Camp Merrimac, they continued to run a general summer camp program. In addition, being physical education teachers, they began the New England Hockey School and Figure skating camps. Youth would travel by bus to Concord, NH to the Everett Area for ice time. Nearing retirement, Mr. Rothchild and Mr. Martin wanted the property to remain a youth facility. They were searching for a buyer who would continue youth programs.

The Metropolis of Boston purchases Camp Merrimac

Well... This is where it ends I guess. Hope it was of interest.