Growing up in southern New Hampshire on the Massachusetts border, my summer childhood memories to this day are vivid and heartwarming. Picking strawberries and blueberries at our local farm, watching the corn grow tall into the dog days of summer, and of course, ice cream runs to Dr. Davis Ice Cream in Pepperell on warm nights. For my sister and me during the summer, there was always a silent waiting game as we cleaned up after dinner. Would this be the night when the stars aligned and our parents would give us “the look” accompanied by “Anybody up for Dr. Davis tonight?” It was our heaven to sneak in a late-night frozen treat while pushing our bedtime past curfew.
Dr. Davis Ice Cream, located at 67 Hollis Street in Pepperell, is the epitome of an old-school, seasonal ice cream stand. Established in 1939 by “Doc” Davis, the story of the shop alone is hard not to love. To keep it brief, Doc eventually sold the business to his longtime employee Rosemary Dee and her husband Billy Graves, who met and fell in love at the shop. Along with Rosemary’s brother Billy Dee, the three still own the shop. And Rose and Billy’s eldest son, Phil, still makes the ice cream by hand on the premises. Who says you can’t get romantic about a roadside ice cream stand?
Besides the ice cream, one of the many things I love the most about Dr. Davis is the stand itself, which hasn’t changed much over the years. The menu, the coolers, the plaques of the Little League teams they’ve sponsored over the decades—heck, even the screen door I swear hasn’t changed since I was a kid going there. It all just tells you that the delicious treats in those coolers haven’t changed either.
My go-to order as a kid was always the bubblegum ice cream. Not sure if that was the best choice for my stomach, but my tastes have certainly evolved. As you can probably guess, I’ve sampled myriad flavors over the years, but my last visit included a cup of mocha chip ice cream with hot fudge sauce. The mocha chip was creamy, filled with ample chocolate chips and bursting with the rich chocolate-mocha decadence. The hot fudge wasn’t necessary, but I enjoyed the richness and extra depth of chocolate flavor. There’s something for everyone here, including those who like to go big and get an old-school banana split or a frappe, for the more efficient snackers. It’s homemade ice cream done right that I would recommend for any ice cream aficionado.
Now I hesitate to mention the last thing I love about Dr. Davis, because I can’t guarantee you’ll have this experience when you go. However, if you’re familiar with this area at all, you might know that the Skydive Pepperell airfield is only 2 1/2 miles from the ice cream stand. If you’re lucky and hit it right, not only will you get your delicious ice cream, but you might get a show of skydivers cascading through the twilight, coming in for their final approach. As I said, it’s hard to not get romantic about an old-school ice cream stand, but when you add in brightly colored parachutes floating down from the heavens above you, it brings the experience to a whole new level. Don’t wait until the season is over to enjoy this one-of-a-kind institution.
Greg Schneider is a dedicated home cook, a former bartender, and a devoted patron of area restaurants. He currently blogs about local breweries at The Hotter Upper.
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Dr. Davis Ice Cream. (Courtesy photo)
