Then and Now: A road to South Conway by another other name

The 1900-ish postcard shown here gives us little to go on except the label “Winter scene, South Conway Road, N.H.” This implies that the picture is taken on the main route to South Conway, but that could be either of two roads. It might be what we know today as the Brownfield Road, or it might be part of the old Goshen Road (not to be confused with the present-day Old Goshen Road).

The Goshen Road of the early 19th century ran almost directly from Conway Center to the district informally called Goshen. It included parts of what are now known as Old Mill Road, Davis Hill Road, Henderson Road and the Gulf Road, which begins at Goshen Corner. Once the last segment of Davis Hill Road was built in 1874, the old Goshen Road fell almost immediately into disuse because of the perennially swampy section at the western foot of Davis Hill. There were no houses there, and it was well worth looping around the hill to get to Goshen Corner.