The Sentinel has been a mainstay in downtown Keene for 225 years

Editor's note: The late David R. Proper was a member of the Historical Society of Cheshire County and wrote weekly columns for The Sentinel. This article first appeared in The Sentinel's 200th birthday edition, on March 23, 1999, and has been lightly edited to update. The Keene Sentinel has been a part of the community and region for 225 years. It is one of the oldest newspapers in the nation, with the added distinction of carrying its signature name, "The Sentinel," from its very first issue on March 23, 1799. Although always located in or near the center of Keene, the newspaper has occupied several different "homes" over its more than two centuries of continuous publication. The original Sentinel printing office, where John Prentiss prepared and printed his newspaper and other publications, was a small, one-story, wooden building located on the west side of Main Street, near the corner of Railroad Street. About eight months later, Prentiss moved to the east side of Main Street, south of Dr. Edwards' tavern, on the site of the Cheshire House block. The first issue of The Sentinel issued there was for Nov. 16, 1799. The third home of the newspaper was a larger wooden building that stood where the southern part of the former Newberry Block was later built, at the corner of Railroad Street. The first Sentinel issued at that site was for Oct. 25, 1806. There, Prentiss also established a bookstore in a northwestern room of his building. In 1815, the firm of Appleton & Elliot built a brick block on the corner of Main and West streets, called Elliot's Block and sometimes St. John Block. The firm's monograph was on the building's north side for more than a century. The Sentinel moved there in time for its issue of July 20, 1816. The printing office and bookstore were on the second floor, with an entrance on the building's northeastern corner. In 1825, Prentiss and Samuel A. Gerould each built brick blocks, separated by a passageway on the west side of Central Square. The Sentinel was first published there Aug. 26, 1825. The Prentiss block remains, somewhat altered as 43-45 Central Square, one of the oldest commercial buildings in Keene. Prentiss' bookstore was on the ground floor, with the printing office upstairs, for more than half a century. The last issue of The Sentinel published from that site was for March 23, 1871, the 72nd anniversary to the day of the first newspaper Prentiss published in Keene. By that time, the 93-year-old founder had recently retired, although he continued to contribute to The Sentinel until shortly before his death in 1873, at age 95. The Sentinel next moved across Central Square to the Bank Block. There, for a time, two Keene newspapers made their home, The Sentinel and its rival, The Cheshire Republican. Prentiss, originally a Whig, had embraced Republican policies, while The Republican was the voice of the Democratic Party, despite its name. The Sentinel erected its own building for the second time in 1893. The first issue from the location at 55 Main St., on the corner of Railroad Square, was for Oct. 9, 1893. The newspaper's name remains inscribed above the corner doorway, and the rare double-face sidewalk clock has been preserved. The building was occupied by the newspaper and its growing publishing activities, together with other commercial enterprises. The newspaper's heavy press equipment was on the lower basement floor, where production was expanded with establishment of a daily, The Keene Evening Sentinel, on Oct. 20, 1890, as companion to the weekly New Hampshire Sentinel. The building was equipped with one of Keene's first elevators, evidence of which is still visible in its roofline. The current office of The Sentinel at 60 West St. was erected in 1930. From this site, local readers have received their newspaper since May 21, 1930. This structure was extensively renovated in 1985. It is home of Keene's oldest commercial enterprise, and one of the oldest newspapers in the United States.