New Boston Historical Society
New Boston, New Hampshire
The Hundred Acres Monastery guest house near the main house
Behind the Door: 96 Scobie Road — Part 2
by Mary Atai (October 2022)
In 1965, Father Paul Fitzgerald, a Catholic Priest and Trappist monk, came from St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Mass. and established "Hundred Acres Monastery" here. It was an experimental community that provided an updated form of monastic life. Families and groups were welcome to visit, regardless of faith. People were welcome to find peace and renewal in a supportive and tolerant environment.
To help support the venture, there was a small gift shop on the grounds, which sold hand-crafted items, such as pottery, tinware, and hand carved figurines. Father Paul made tapestries and wove cloth on his own loom. He also wove curtains for the monastery and made the vestments that were worn. He was an artistic man, a gardener, and an avid reader, as well as a good cook. Dinner was served on a large round table, and everyone was welcome. His precious loom was eventually given to his dear friend, retired psychiatrist and former nun, Dr. Katie Kachavos. It is set up in the living room of her retirement apartment still.
The library in the monastery guest house
Jennifer Wilson, wife of Mark Wilson, who passed away last year, worked as a cook at Hundred Acres, during Father Paul's time there. She remembers that he loved to have apple pie for breakfast, and she would make it for him.
Father Paul had Parkinson's Disease and had become a bit confused at times. He died unexpectedly at age 81, while out for an evening walk in 1991, bringing this 26-year chapter to an end. He was buried in the back yard, as he requested, behind the stone wall at the wood's edge. Years later, Father Paul's body was removed from the grounds by the Abbey and reburied elsewhere.
From 1991 until 1998 the property became the Epiphany Monastery under the Benedictine Order. Father Romuald came from the west coast Camaldolese monks and led Sunday worships and retreats for 6 years. Under Father Romuald, the floors and walls were refinished, and a new kitchen was added. He painted the entire exterior of the large house himself.
It eventually became too difficult to continue the monastery with very little staff and only one monk, forcing the Monastery to be closed in May, 1998. The following month, Saint Anselm Abbey took custody of the property and began using it for student retreats and student research in ecological studies. Mass for the local community members who had worshiped here for many years was no longer offered. St. Anselm's made substantial investments to bring the house to a more comfortable level, but by 2014, the property had fallen out of code, and it was felt that it would cost too much to upgrade. The decision was made to sell.
Kary Jencks and her husband Noel Sagna bought the property. Their three children, Liam, Jacob, and Carolina, are being raised there. They operate a successful dog kennel business in the big barn, where the guestrooms once were.
The main house has 2 front rooms downstairs, one of which has a carved mantel and corner cabinet, most likely built by one of the Dunlap cabinetmakers or an apprentice. The bedrooms upstairs have paneled fireplaces typical of the style of the 18th century cabinetmakers. There are 3 stairways in the house.
The Sagnas have done considerable work to preserve their beautiful home, including chimney work, window replacements, insulation enhancement, a roof replacement, and driveway repairs. This old homestead is in very good hands.
Click here to return to the main page for "Behind the Door" articles.
