Congratulations are due to the management for the 

 unsurpassed exhibition of 1923. But attention is called 

 to the fact that the Society has added to its plant during 

 the past few months, — days, the contractor says, — new 

 buildings as follows: Poultry building (50 by 150 feet), 

 cattle barn (50 by 100 feet), horse barn (30 by 60 feet), 

 racing stable (28 by 80 feet), piggery (14 by 80 feet), 

 woman's building (30 by 60 feet) with rest and first-aid 

 rooms and children's nursery (the latter structure was 

 made possible by the generosity of the women of the 

 county), pump house, and ticket office as the first unit 

 of an administration building and exhibition hall. Sub- 

 stantial and attractive fences have been built around the 

 race track and outside the grounds. The new roadway 

 from Maple Street to the racing stables served to relieve 

 much of the usual traffic congestion at the main entrance 

 to the grounds. The progress of landscape architecture 

 is noted in the grading and setting out of shrubs and 

 trees. The track has been the training quarters of sev- 

 eral well known stables during the summer, and is con- 

 sidered to be from three to seven seconds faster than the 

 average race track in New England. 



During the past three years women and boys and girls 

 over twelve years of age have been admitted to member- 

 ship, and a drive for an increase of membership has been 

 highly successful. But with the forward steps already 

 taken by the Society, it has only crossed the threshold in 

 developing its plans for a service of wide scope and great 

 value to the County and State. 



INTERESTING STORY OF THE OLD BLOCK HOUSE 

 FORMERLY ON THE FAIR GROUNDS 



In connection with the foregoing history of the work 

 of the Society, and as showing the wide interest it fosters 

 and supports, we wish to record the action of the Society 

 in the past year in voting to erect a monument near the 

 center of the Fair Grounds to mark the site of the old 

 Block House, erected in the early days of the town to 

 furnish a shelter and defense against Indian attacks. 



This building was constructed previous to the Indian 

 attack on Haverhill, March 15th, 1697, when Hannah 

 Dustin was carried off by Indians but escaped from them. 

 At that time the alarm of an attack reached Topsfield, 

 and some of the inhabitants took refuge in the Block 



