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Sunapee Lake Spiritualists History
Blodgetts was originally established as a church “Spiritualist” community in 1876. Spiritualists annual camp-meeting at Blodgett Landing were held in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
The first Spiritualists of New Hampshire Camp Meeting of was held at Blodgett’s in 1876, the same year as the US Centennial celebration (1776-1876). The Sunapee Spiritualists were incorporated in 1893. Many of the famous local names of the day are listed on the “Sunapee Lake Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association” incorporation papers.
The Spiritualists of NH annual “Camp Meeting” was held at Blodgett’s for 4-5 weeks in July, August or September.
Here is an account from the 1885 annual camp-meeting and a photo of the camp meeting brochure cover.
There was a Spiritualist Temple at the corner of Washington St. and Postoffice St. – now a park.
There also was an outdoor Spiritualist Temple at the fork in the road between Lake Ave. and Washington St. The outdoor Temple was similar to “Cathedral of the Pines” in Rindge, NH.
Here are a few of the Sunapee Spiritualists camp meeting brochures:
1885 8th Sunapee Spiritualists Camp Meeting brochure
1892 14th Sunapee Spiritualists Camp Meeting brochure
1907 30th Sunapee Spiritualists Camp Meeting brochure (Note: complete 9 page brochure with ads)
Spiritualist’s annual Camp Meetings are still held in many states. There are numerous active Spiritualist Churches currently. Spirtualists believe that we all die physically, and that some aspect of the personality or mind survives this and continues to exist on a spirit plane.
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