The Setting
Riverbank House Recovery Community for men is located in the little city of Laconia, in the heart of the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Once a vibrant New England mill town in the 1800s, Laconia has matured into a four seasons recreational resort and antique shopping destination. The city boasts four lakes, twenty parks, and four public beaches. Our campus is situated along the banks of the gentle waterway connecting Lake Opechee to Lake Winnisquam, just a few blocks from Laconia’s quaint downtown, the Public Library, Lakes Region General Hospital, churches, groceries, post office, ball fields, cafes, restaurants, and more than two dozen weekly 12-step meetings.
Life in the Neighborhood
Riverbank House is not an institutional rehab facility. It is a neighborhood of stately Victorian era homes and fully integrated spaces – both indoors and out, both therapeutic and recreational — engineered to meet the diverse needs of men throughout the entire continuum of recovery care. Our residences, therapeutic meeting rooms, and recreational spaces are connected and accessible by our well-lit and securely monitored Riverwalk pathway, inviting you to enjoy the river views from our rooftop patio or from our furniture workshop, to meditate in our professional yoga studio or in our Zen garden, to play chess in our Rec Center quiet room or under the pergola in Riverside Park. The campus and its amenities are designed to encourage men to engage in the long-term recovery care universally recommended by experts. By allowing men a wide variety of therapeutic phases and transition options within the safety and stability of a real neighborhood, Riverbank House offers men the place and time to build a fully realized recovery from the exile of addiction.
Our Properties
The Original Riverbank House
Our flagship property at 96 Church Street, the Riverbank House is a fully restored 19th century waterfront mansion with an ambiance of unpretentious warmth, comfort, and community. With 8,500 square feet of interior living space and fully landscaped grounds, Riverbank House offers flexible options for group activities, individual privacy, and relaxed fellowship within an environment of mutual support and true belonging. Riverbank House is home to 18 intensive phase residents and the central campus dining room.
The Passage
The Passage is the perfect residential option for men in early transition from our intensive phase. Private suites allow for privacy and independence, while shared common areas and kitchen help men maintain their hard-earned sense of community and connection with others.
The Big House
The Big House combines the affordability and warmth of communal sober living with the advantages of personal private space for men in long-term recovery. The 6,000 square foot home — a late period Victorian from Laconia’s vibrant mill era — is situated in an upscale tree-lined family neighborhood just a few blocks from the water, the quaint downtown, and the main hub of Riverbank House activity. The home’s short distance from our primary recovery neighborhood provides men pursuing professional careers as recovery service workers a buffer between their “day” jobs and the self-care so necessary for personal rejuvenation.
An apartment within the Big House allows residents to progress to completely independent sober living while still maintaining close physical ties to our community.
The Tree House
Featured on NHPR, the Tree House is a masterpiece in micro-living and one of New Hampshire’s best models of the tiny house trend. At barely 200 square feet plus sleeping loft, the heated Tree House is appointed with hardwood floors, flat screen television, granite kitchen countertop, electric fireplace, gorgeous views, and cable bridge passage to Riverbank House. The Treehouse is occupied by an on-site senior staff member.
The Courtyard
Just at few blocks away at the Big House, the Courtyard is a fully fenced, 2,000 square feet of seasonal outdoor living and recreational oasis. It features an in-ground pool, an open air kitchen and dining area, fire pit, eight person hot tub, double sided fireplace, an outdoor theater, professionally landscaped gardens, and brightly colored outdoor sofas and arm chairs. The Courtyard is the perfect place for barbecues, music jams, and warm summer evenings. Its sense of tranquil retreat is enhanced by the soft rhythm of animated LED lighting around the Courtyard’s entire perimeter. Enjoyed by the entire Riverbank House community, the Courtyard invites men to socialize, to fellowship, and to relax in a peaceful, private, and spacious setting.
The Victorian
The grand Victorian has been fully restored by a professional designer with an eye toward vibrant color, a sparkling gourmet kitchen, bold contemporary fixtures, and gleaming woodwork. With its eye-popping stained glass windows and expansive wrap-around veranda overlooking the river, the Vic accommodations nine residents in elegance and comfort.
The Dry Dock
Kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, fishing, and pontoon trips are all launched from the Riverbank House Dry Dock. Whether you set out for Lake Opechee to the north or Lake Winnisquam to the south, The Dry Dock – like all Riverbank House programming – will start you off with the right equipment, the right destination, and the right companions. The journey starts here.
The Island
In their enthusiasm for the recovery process, Randy Bartlett’s parents open their Island home each summer to the Riverbank House community. Located on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee, Pine Island outings include afternoons on the beach, festive cookouts, yoga on the dock, paddle boarding, boating, water skiing, basketball, tennis, swimming, volleyball, laughter and brotherhood. On Pine Island, men in recovery enjoy fellowship, physical activity, and the building of memories to last a lifetime.
The Riverbank Rec Center
Giving Tree Yoga Studio
With its state-of-the-art design and ambiance, the Yoga Studio encourages and nutures the RBH community in its daily discipline of yoga and meditation. The tranquil studio, which also offers classes to the general public, is fully equipped with mats, blocks, yoga props, surround sound for music and instruction, and a profound sense of refuge from the concerns of daily living.
Outreach Offices
The Administrative Hub of RBH is centrally located within the campus, yet recessed from the priority work of residents’ recovery. A staff specialized in community outreach, admissions, and program development work behind the scenes, focusing on the smooth operations that facilitate comprehensive addiction recovery and a quality residential experience.
The Recreation Center
The social epicenter of our community, the Rec provides residents with the psycho-social stimulation so vitally necessary as a protection against drug cravings and isolation. An arcade game room, a quiet room for chess and board games, an expansive area for air hockey, ping pong, pool, and mega screen television, as well as comfortable sofas, vibrant colors, and clean light stave off the boredom and sense of dullness that can challenge men in early recovery. Loneliness, isolation, and separation are more easily alleviated when engagement with others is activity-focused. The bonds of friendship and brotherhood develop and strength when just “hanging out” is centered around healthy activity.
One to One Fitness and Giving Tree Yoga Studio
One to One Fitness and the Giving Tree Yoga Studio offer our members a unique intersection between Wellness of Body and Spirit. The gym and yoga studio were both founded with the mission of promoting flexibility, balance, coordination, strength, stress relief and relaxation, personal empowerment, and body/mind awareness and well as overall fitness and increased vitality. Our all-inclusive membership options give you the flexibility to build a holistic workout plan that nurtures and challenges both Body and Soul.
Our Location
Laconia, NH 03246
Phone: (603) 505-7912