Alvah T. Ramsdell was born in York, Me. On April 15, 1852 the son of William and Phoebe (Boston) Ramsdell. At the age of 18 he started three year apprenticeship with William A. McIntire, a So. Berwick Contractor, and became a journeyman carpenter. He worked on construction of No. 1 Mill for the Cocheco Manufacturing Company and then went to Boston to study architecture.
He worked at the architectural firm of Beacon & Preston, in Boston, for several years and in 1889 came to Dover and started his own business. Among the structures which Mr. Ramsdell designed are Ricker Memorial Chapel in Pine Hill Cemetery, Dover Children’s Home, Wentworth Home for the Aged, the Dover High School on Locust Street and the Strafford Bank building at the corner of Washington Street and Central Avenue. He also designed town halls in Alton, Rollinsford, New Durham and Wakefield.
Mr. Ramsdell served on the Dover City Council in the 1890’s, as a representative to the State legislature in 1903 and a state senator in 1919. In 1920 and 1921 he was mayor of Dover. He was also a member of the Board of Water Commissioners for several years.
He married Ida Hurd, the daughter of John S. and Johanna (Brewster) Hurd of New Durham, NH on April 15, 1879. They had two sons and both of whom died at a young age.
Alvah died May 28, 1928 at his home, 45 Mt. Vernon Street. His wife Ida died May 20, 1940 at the same address.
Photograph from Dover Public Library archives, text from Marston, Robert, Dover, NH: People, Businesses and Organizations: 1850 to 1950. Dover, NH, 2004.