TED REINSTEIN HAS THE STORY.
♪ >> IT HAS A LOT OF FARMS STILL SO IT IS PRETTY QUIET.
IT IS NOT DENSELY POPULATED.
FO AN ARTIST AND LIKES TO BE OUTSIDE IN THE WOODS, THAT IS VERY APPEALING.
TED: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS STILL SPLIT BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL.
I THINK THAT OUR LETTER COUNTIES -- OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT ARE ONE OR THE OTHER.
TED: AN UNUSU MIX MIGHT BETTER DESCRIBE NEW HAMPSHIRE’S HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
ITS EASTERN EDGE IS HOME TO THE STATE’S TWO LARGE CITIES, BUT 15 MILES WEST, FARMS, HILLS, EVEN OVERGROWN FOREST.
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE IS ONE OF THE COUNTY’S MOST APPEALING TOWNS, NEW BOSTON.
IN THE MID-1700S, THE COLONIAL GOVERNOR GRANTED LAND TO A GROUP OF FARMERS FROM BOSTON.
WITH A POPULATION OF OVER 5000 AND ONLY 30 MINUTES FROM THE STATE’S LARGEST CITY, NEW BOSTON REMAINS REMARKABLY RURAL WITHOUT A LOT OF CHANGE OUTWARDLY.
MOST OF THE FOLKS HERE ARE JUST FINE WITH THAT.
>> THIS TOWN HAS STAYED PRETTY UNSPOILED.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE LIVE HERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO LIVE HERE.
TED: NEW BOSTON RESIDENT AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID WOODBERRY MOVED HERE WITH HIS WIFE IN 1970.
I WAS PRETTY SURE HE WOULD BE JUST THE GUY TO LEAD US TO A SOMEWHAT HIDDEN LOCAL LANDMARK.
AFTER ALL, IT HAD ONCE BEEN A TOURIS ATTRACTION FOR SOME OF THE AREA’S SUMMER HOTELS.
NOW IT WAS JUST AHEAD OF US IN THE WOODS.
>> I SEE IT.
THE FAMOUS FROG ROCK.
TED: OK, IT IS NOT THE GREAT STONE FACE BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIT.
>> IT DOES LOOK LIKE A FROG.
TED: A CENTURY AGO, FROG ROCK WAS A LOT MORE VISIBLE.
>> NOW IT’S A LITTLE BIT OFF THE BEATEN PATH.
>> SUBSTANTIALLY.
TED: TRUTHFULLY, MUCH OF NEW BOSTON FEELS A BIT OFF THE BEATEN PATH.
THERE IS DODGE’S STORE AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL BUT OTHERWISE -- >> IT IS MORE REMOTE THAN OTHER TOWNS.
TED: NOT THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE PUT NEW BOSTON ON THE MAP GLOBALLY.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ROCK CROPPING OF NEW ENGLISH HILL, NEW BOSTON AIR FORCE STATION WAS CREATED IN WORLD WAR II AS A BOMBING PRACTICING AREA.
THE 1960’S, IT WAS TURNED INTO A SATELLITE TRACKING STATION, TURNING NEW BOSTON OVERNIGHT INTO A POTENTIAL FIRST STRIKE TARGET IN A NUCLEAR EXCHANGE.
>> I SUPPOSE THAT SOME HOSTILE POWER WANTED TO CRIPPLE OUR SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, THE NEW BOSTON TRACKING SYSTEM WOULD BE A PLACE TO HIT WITH A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
TED: NOT THAT ANYONE HERE EXPECTS THAT, MIND YOU.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE TAKEN PRECAUTIONS JUST THE SAME.
>> I DON’T KNOW THE OWNER WHO ACTUALLY BUILT IT, BUT I DO KNOW TWO PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON IT BACK IN 1980.
1980, MIDDLE OF THE COLD WAR, THE USSR HAS THEIR EYES FIRMLY SET ON THE NEW BOSTON AIR FORCE TRACKING STATION.
TED: DO YOU SEE A HOUSE HERE?
EXACTLY.
BECAUSE THE NEW BOSTON HOUSE THE BRIAN AND BECKY FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS PART HOUSE, PART BUNKER, AND ALMOST ENTIRELY UNDERGROUND.
>> EVERYTHING FROM HERE TO HERE, 18 INCHES IS STEEL REINFORCED CONCRETE FROM THE FLOOR ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PEAK.
TE A FOOT AND A HALF OF CONCRETE?
MAKING IT THE DOORJAMB.
THE INTERIOR IS OCTAGON SHAPE WHICH WE ALSO MET THE FAMILY’S TALKATIVE PARROT.
THIS WAS DESIGNED FOR DOUBLE DUTY.
HOLDING UP THE GROUND ABOVE, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT MAYBE A NUCLEAR BLAST.
>> THAT’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
ANTHON WHILE THEY SAVE A LOT OF MONEY ON ENERGY, THERE ARE SOME DOWNSIDES.
>> WE GET DELIVERY PEOPLE OR KIDS’ FRIENDS’ PARENT NOT FIND THE HOUSE.
THEY THINK WE LIVE IN TH SHED AND TURN AROUND AND LEAVE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FIND THE HOUSE.
TED: CALL IT UNDERGROUND NEW BOSTON.
BUT JUST DOWN THE STREET, ANOTHER HOUSE YOU WILL EASILY FIND.
THAT IS THE ROOF OF ELLEN AND DAVID’S HOUSE.
>> AS SOON AS WE SAY IT IS UNDERGROUND, THEY ALL SCRATCH THEIR HEADS AND THINK DO YOU HAVE WINDOWS?
TED: THERE ARE SOME WINDOWS AND A SURPRISING AMOUNT OF NATURAL HEAT AND LIGHT, WHICH WAS THE FULL IDEA BEHIND WEDGING A V-SHAPED HOUSE INTO A NEW HAMPSHIRE HILLSIDE BACK IN 1971.
>> WE ARE FOSSIL FUEL FREE SINCE 2008.
I WOULD NOT LIVE ABOVE GROUND ANYMORE.
IT IS 13 BELOW AND WE CAN HAVE DOOR OPEN AND MAINTAIN 75 DEGREES.
IN THE SUMMERTIME, IT STAYS COOL.
TED: WHICH DAVID AND ELLEN HAVE TAKEN FULL ADVANTAGE OF WITH ONE OF THEIR MANY HOBBIES.
IT IS COOLER, YOU CAN FEEL IT.
>> IT IS AN IDEA TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY FOR MAKING WINE.
THIS IS WHAT WE’VE GOT SO THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
TED: FUEL-EFFICIENT, UNDERGROUN YET WITH A TWO-CAR GARAGE.
WHAT IT MAY LACK IN WINDOWS, AND MAKES UP FOR IN UNIQUENESS.
YOU MAY BE ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE ART WHO CAN HONESTLY SAY I COULD FALL OFF MY ROOF MOWING THE LAWN.
YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
ANTHONY: YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY MORE PEOPLE AREN’T CHOOSING TO BUILD UNDERGROUND HOMES, GIVEN THE ABILITY TO LIVE FOSSIL FUEL-FREE.
TED SAYS, BESIDES THE AESTHETICS, THESE HOMES AR ACTUALLY, ON AVERAGE, MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.
THERE ARE LONG-TERM SAVINGS TO BE REALIZED, BUT THE UP-FRONT COSTS CAN BE A HURDLE.
COMING UP, TED FINDS TWO OF HIS FAVORITE THINGS -- A RAIL TRAIL AND A