Origin's time in New Hampshire

MannPower

Commodore
in 1992, as a kid of ten, I didn't think much of it when older brother, who's double my age, pointed out a specific building on our way to the mall. It was, he said, where Origin used to be. At that time, I was obsessed with Wing Commander and Ultima VII, but I think the fact that we were going to shop for computer games distracted me from the aside.

I never really thought about it again since. Maybe I thought he was just kidding with me? Older brothers do that a lot. Still, years later I learned that it was indeed true that Origin was located in Manchester, NH for a time, and that it also moved its headquarters a few miles down the same road, into Londonderry - my hometown. Still, I never figured my brother knew the actual building.

So today, well over-due, I looked up the addresses. We moved to New Hampshire in 1987, so they were only in the state for two more years. Well before I knew they were. Still, my brother wasn't fibbing; those locations on Harvery Road were the ones we passed a million times on the way to the Mall of NH. For years I drove past them without even knowing, and being an Origin fan, it kind of feels magical knowing that now.

I guess it's mostly the fact that I got into the games as a kid, and the coincidence that they were in the same town I lived in at some point was exciting.

Anyway, would anyone care to see what the buildings look like, today? I have half a mind to go to them and take photos of the addresses. I know the Manchester location is now an electronics company; the building is pretty small, tucked next to Manchester Airport.
 
Yeah, go take some pictures -- I actually just recently scanned some old promotional slides of one of those buildings, and it'd be good to know which it was.
 
Interesting. I'm also from the area (Hampstead, yeah that's right MannPower I went to the Aaacademy...)
 
Fascinating. I grew up in Derry, and worked in Manchester for a while, and I never knew Origin was there. Where exactly was it? What was the address?

Oh, btw, go Astros! :)
 
Ugh, ya damn Pinkos!

Anywho, I'm going out this week to get the pics. If you're familiar with Manchester Airport, then Harvey Road is the one that runs right alongside it, if you were going to the mall from High Range Rd. in Londonderry. It intersects with S. Willow St. in Manchester where Antics/Fitness Planet used to be, by the Mall.

Origin was in two buildings on that road, about a mile apart. There first address was 340 Harvey Rd., and then it was 136 Harvey Rd. in Londonderry. You can Google Map / Google Earth both of those for a better explanation.

Robert Garriott lived in Londonderry at that time, but I don't know where.
 
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