The Concord Coach - Concord Group Insurance

Known for high-quality craftmanship, Abbot-Downing’s Concord coaches have historically been a symbol of excellence. Skilled artisans fashioned these fine coaches to withstand the rugged terrain of New England, the West and beyond. Adopting its namesake from the New Hampshire city in which they were created, the Concord coach set the highest standard for transportation in the early 19th century in North America.  

The Concord Group’s Downing Coach #80 was built by Lewis Downing and Son in 1850. The coach was ordered for a stage line in Lake Village, New Hampshire (now known as Lakeport, NH). Coach #80 has escaped three fires and passed through many hands on its way to The Concord Group -- most notably Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, who displayed the coach at his Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA.

In 1959, the coach was returned to New Hampshire to be placed in a historical exhibit, but plans fell through, and the coach was later acquired by Edward Rowse in 1970.

Mr. Rowse began a detailed restoration with a meticulous eye for craftsmanship and in 1971, sold Coach #80 to The Concord Group, as the organization had recently adopted the Concord coach as a symbol for the company.

The coach remained in storage away from the public until a fortuitous sonic boom from a passing military jet cracked a wall-sized window at the corporate
headquarters of The Concord Group. This unique event provided an opportunity to move the coach into an exhibit space for public viewing and educational tours for multiple generations of students in our community.

After over six decades of growth at the company’s Concord location, in 2023 The Concord Group relocated its corporate headquarters to Bedford, New Hampshire and secured the future of beloved Coach #80. On August 24, 2023, in partnership with the Abbot-Downing Historical Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and educating people on the significance of the Concord coach, Coach #80 was relocated to a temporary location for safe storage. The coach will remain in the thoughtful care and stewardship of The Abbot-Downing Historical Society as it works to raise money and complete a stagecoach museum in Concord, New Hampshire, where our Coach #80 will again be honored and displayed, along with other notable Abbot-Downing coaches once used throughout the United States.

Loaning Coach #80 to the Abbot-Downing Historical Society ensures it will remain available for community members and enthusiasts to admire for years to come.