The Pepperidge Woods Story...
Pepperidge Woods Cooperative opened in 2004 as New Hampshire's first manufactured home community to start as a Cooperative as well as the first EnergyStar-rated manufactured home community in the country. The EnergyStar rating means that every home has extra insulation in the walls, floors, ceilings and windows; water heaters and furnaces are also energy efficient. Each house is set on a permanent, insulated concrete foundation, with full basements or at least frost walls that extend four feet below ground. These measures ensure that by living in Pepperidge Woods, you'll spend less on utilities and home maintenance. Since 2004, Pepperidge Woods has grown into a 44-site community.
Now, Pepperidge Woods is not only a successful business, but also a thriving neighborhood. The process of the Cooperative buying the land beneath our neighborhood brought this community closer together. Not only do we know far more of our neighbors than ever before, but we look out for one another, too. And with no outside landlord to report to, we're the envy of other nearby manufactured home communities.
Our Member households elect our Board of Directors, which appoints various volunteer committees to help with special projects, celebrations, community improvements and more. The Board submits a budget every year, and the entire Membership votes on it and any changes to the rent before the budget becomes official. Our rent is controlled by us, which keeps it stabilized – something about which we're not only happy, but also proud. We're running the multi-million dollar business that is Pepperidge Woods Cooperative on our terms, by our rules, for the betterment of ourselves and our neighbors.
Pepperidge Woods couldn't be better situated. Barrington provides great access to many of the fine outdoor activities New Hampshire has to offer: Hiking, swimming, skiing, boating – whatever you like to do, you're bound to find it close to home. We’re very fortunate to have Mendums Pond Outdoor Recreation Area just a couple hundred yards down the road. This park is available for swimming, kayaking, fishing and more. And while we are a great place for the outdoor enthusiast, we are also very close to a host of other activities. The communities around us are bustling with museums, shopping centers, restaurants, concert venues and more. Warren Farm, less than two miles away, offers local produce and the opportunity to cut your own Christmas tree. University of New Hampshire is just 15 minutes away, so taking a class at our state university is incredibly convenient. And within a half hour are a host of other urban centers: Portsmouth, a beautiful waterfront community with boutique storefronts and historic culture; Manchester, northern New England’s biggest city with a large airport (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport) and myriad shopping, dining and entertainment options; Kittery, Maine, a beautiful oceanfront town to our East, is home to dozens of outlet stores and the beauty of the open ocean; and 30 minutes in the other direction is Concord, our State Capital. We're closer still, to the things we need every day, like our local schools, groceries, a pharmacy, churches and transportation — such as the train and bus stations — they're all within a short drive. Our Pepperidge Woods location is a hop, skip and a jump from most places you need to be!
Each year we work to keep our community beautiful and make improvements as needed. For instance, on Community Clean-Up Day we tackle updating and maintenance to areas of Pepperidge Woods that need a lift: We might paint the community building, add wood chips to the playground, trim the trees and freshen-up the landscaping. Whatever is needed to keep Pepperidge Woods looking beautiful and operating smoothly, we work together to make it happen. Our community enjoys annual holiday parties, community yard sales, BBQs and picnics. We even give away a free month's rent at our Annual Meeting each January! We are an eclectic group, reflective of our membership bylaws which do not discriminate on the basis of social, political, racial, religious, age, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities or marital status...we work together and support each other. One of our Members said it best: "We have each others' backs. When the kids are outside playing, there's always a set of eyes on them. When someone is sick, grieving or just lonely, there's someone with a meal and a smile. We work together to achieve common goals, be it community clean-up or voting at the annual meetings."
Ask anyone who lives in Pepperidge Woods Cooperative, and we're sure they'll tell you it's a little slice of heaven.
Ask anyone who lives in Pepperidge Woods Cooperative, and we're sure they'll tell you it's a little slice of heaven.
