The Preservation Alliance will announce its 2007 Seven to Save endangered properties list on October 16. The goal of the program is to help draw public attention and resources to endangered properties and preservation issues.

Directions to Epsom Meetinghouse:

From Concord and points north, south and west:

Take 93 to I-393 east to Route 4 east. At the Epsom traffic circle (junction with Route 28), continue on Route 4 east toward Northwood and Durham. The Epsom Town Hall is located just over 1 mile east of the Epsom traffic circle on the north (left) side of Route 4. (Approximately ½ mile past the traffic circle at a light, you will see Cumberland Farms on the southeast corner of Route 4 and Black Hall Road. This was the location of the Epsom Meetinghouse before the move.)

From the east:

Take Route 4 west, which can easily be reached from the Spaulding Turnpike, Route 125 or Route 202 from Rochester. Proceed past Northwood Lake into Epsom. Look for a sign indicating New Orchard Road on the right. There will be one more house (on right) after New Orchard Road and then the meetinghouse/library/town hall complex will be on your right.

Parking:

Parking may be tight. Look for parking signs at the entrance to the library and to the east of the Town Hall. Attendants will be present to assist you. There will be a limited number of spots available in the library's paved lot and additional parking will be available on the unpaved area to the right (east) of the town hall.
 
Note: There are two driveways that take you into the town hall complex, so if you miss one, take the next.

Epsom's historic meetinghouse might have ended up in a landfill if not for the recognition it received from being named as one of the most endangered properties in New Hampshire in 2006. The Seven to Save list, which The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance debuted last October, recognizes the most threatened historic properties in the state, and helps focus attention and resources to save these important parts of our community heritage.

The focus of the program is on resources that are over 50 years old and are significant representations of the state's heritage. Additional criteria for selection to the "Seven" list include the severity of the current threat to it, and the extent to which the listing will make a difference in the future survival of the property.

The 2006 list included The Great Stone Dwelling at the Enfield Shaker Village, Hilltop School in Somersworth, Philbrook Farm Inn in Shelburne, The Stone Arched Bridge in Keene, the Franco-American Center in Manchester, and the State Historic Sites, in addition to Epsom's meetinghouse.

In February, the Epsom meetinghouse was safely moved to town-owned property further east on Route 4. Work is underway at Philbrook Farm to place conservation and preservation easements on the property. Activists in Keene have applied for a Preserve America grant for evaluation of the Stone Arched Bridge. The City of Somersworth has agreed to form a School Re-Use Study Committee. New tenants have been found for the vacant halls and meetings spaces at the Franco-American Center.

Collectively, these historic properties contribute to the quality of life and shape the daily experiences of living in small towns, large cities and rural landscapes across the state. "We encourage citizens to submit a nomination for whatever they think is in danger of being lost in their communities. Being named to this Seven to Save list can become a powerful catalyst for community efforts to preserve and protect historic assets," said Jennifer Goodman, Executive Director of the Alliance.

Seven to Save is modeled after a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation which selected two New Hampshire sites to their "Eleven Most Endangered List in recent years: the Wentworth-by-the-Sea Hotel in New Castle in 1996 and the Daniel Webster Farm in Franklin in 2005.

Nominations to the New Hampshire Seven to Save list can be for residential or commercial sites, industrial heritage sites such as bridges or transportation structures, agricultural buildings, or even threatened building types or group nominations. Anyone can submit a nomination for the Seven to Save list -- concerned citizens, neighborhood advocacy groups, non-profit organizations, and others. 

Seven to Save is generously sponsored, in part, by Lincoln Financial Foundation, Anagnost Companies and GV Engineering. 

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is the statewide membership organization dedicated to preserving historic buildings, communities and landscapes through education and advocacy.