Grassroots Advocates Work to Save Threatened Local Landmarks
Five Small Town Organizations across the State Receive NH Preservation Alliance and The 1772 Foundation Grants
There’s a certain type of local hero who works against the odds to save a vacant or failing historic structure. The process starts with that one person, and grows into a group, and pretty soon they have a name and a little funding, and with grit and creativity and determination, they get results.
Five of these local hero groups recently received grants from the NH Preservation Alliance in partnership with The 1772 Foundation. Like Hercules performing his twelve labors, our preservation heroes take on a daunting series of tasks to save these iconic buildings and strengthen the community life of their small towns.
Here are the 12 challenges for a typical small-town preservation effort:
1. Raise money to acquire the building and begin planning.
2. Get a building condition assessment and code evaluation.
3. Develop a vision for re-use.
4. Build a leadership team (sometimes this requires forming a new non-profit).
5. Make a business or operations plan.
6. Hire an architect and/or preservation contractor.
7. Recruit partners and/or find tenants to assure future stability.
8. Create renovation plans and specs.
9. Raise more money.
10. Begin and manage repair and renovation.
11. Communicate what’s happening.
12. Celebrate and show appreciation for all supporters!
The grant winners who qualify as “Local Heroes Saving Threatened Small-Town Landmarks” are:
Advocates for the shuttered Gale School in Belmont have worked for years to save and reuse this beloved landmark. Along with many other sources, the Preservation Alliance grant will help fund moving the building to a new location where it can be rehabilitated for community use.
The Save Our Gale School Committee in Belmont. This group will use its $10,000 to rescue an unused Queen Anne style school, built in 1894 and closed in 1985. Advocates have worked for years to counter demolition plans, raising money, mobilizing support from townspeople and school graduates, and obtaining both Seven to Save designation (2017) and State Register listing (2018). Up against a deadline to move the building or see it demolished by the school district that owns the property it’s on, the school was successfully relocated to a nearby donated lot in July, 2020. A new owner, Lakes Region Community Developers, is lined up. “The Gale School is a landmark in Belmont and a unique architectural treasure,” said Woody Fogg, a member of the Save Our Gale School committee. “Not only will the building be used for community purposes again but it will continue to be a vibrant part of Belmont for many years to come.”
Mascoma Valley Preservation is working incrementally to rescue and rehabilitate the Grafton Center Meetinghouse following a devastating fire. The goal is to find a new community-centered use for the 1797 structure.
Mascoma Valley Preservation will use its $10,000 for the Grafton Center Meetinghouse, a 1797 structure that sits on a major historic highway in the center of a tiny village. After a devastating fire, the meetinghouse was named to the State’s Seven to Save endangered properties list in 2017, and two years later it was purchased by a newly-formed local group, Mascoma Valley Preservation (MVP). In dust masks and work gloves, MVP volunteers cleaned out the abandoned structure and installed a partial temporary roof to cover badly-damaged areas. “Our goal is to see this old church have a new life as a vital meeting place that will continue to bring the community together. We know that saving this small town landmark will have a positive impact on local property values, the town’s reputation, the nature of the town common and the region,” said Judith Kushner, Vice President of MVP. Their labors are not over; they continue fundraising and working incrementally to rehabilitate the structure and explore possible new uses for it.
The Lord’s Hill Meeting House in Effingham will use its grant to launch a fundraising campaign to restore the six large 45-light windows, one window at a time.
Lord’s Hill Meeting House in Effingham will use its $900 grant to launch a fundraising campaign to restore it six large 45-light windows, beginning with work on just one of the windows. The first civic building constructed in the little town of Effingham in 1798, this National Register-listed meeting house stands next to the historic parade ground and bandstand in the center of a charming local historic district. The Lord’s Hill Meeting House was remodeled in 1845, and thereafter only basic building maintenance was done. Now the organization that stewards the building has seen a surge of interest in the building’s future. “This Meeting House has been at the heart of our town for 222 years. Though it no longer houses local government or an organized church, it is available for community use. Our non-profit has seen a lot of support for preserving this unique architectural treasure,” said Jason Earle, board member. “But we’re a small town. We are working slowly and in small increments, using in-kind support whenever possible.” Thanks to the new grant funds, a can-do attitude and strong local interest, the Lord’s Hill Meeting House is off to a promising start.
Haverhill Heritage, Inc. has purchased the vacant Wentworth-Brown House, one of the oldest homes in the region and a major component of the Haverhill Corner Historic District, and will preserve it for a future role as a contributing element of the local economy.
Haverhill Heritage, Inc. will use its $10,000 for the Wentworth-Brown House, one of the oldest residences in the region and part of the Haverhill Corner Historic District. When a for-sale sign appeared on its lawn, townspeople worried what might happen to it, and the local group, Haverhill Heritage, stepped in to save it. First steps included Seven to Save listing (2018) and a grant for a conditions assessment from the Preservation Alliance. These helped lead to a grant of $150,000 from LCHIP and purchase in 2019. The new funds from the Alliance, along with other contributions, will help secure the building from further decay and support critical foundation and sill repairs. Like the other projects to receive these grant funds, a sustainable new use for this large building needs to be found to assure its future. Christina Fuerschbach, Chair of the Wentworth-Brown Project for Haverhill Heritage, summed up their goals: “This project preserves more than just one house; it helps save a whole unique cultural landscape located along the Connecticut River Scenic By-Way. We aim to reactivate this idle infrastructure for productive use, whether it’s for community services, providing new social or cultural connections, or some other purpose.” In this small town, that new preservation activity will add much-needed economic and social activity and perhaps even spur additional investment.
The Cohos Historical Society is making improvements to their Marion Blodgett Museum in Stratford, relying largely on volunteers and in-kind donations. The project is improving the cultural life of the community and building stronger relationships between generations in the process.
The Cohos Historical Society will use its $10,000 to make improvements to their Marion Blodgett Museum in Stratford, a tiny North Country town. Volunteers began thinking about their building’s needs several years ago, and with guidance from the Preservation Alliance, succeeded in placing the former church on the State Register of Historic Places. This sparked additional recognition and appreciation and led to a coveted Seven to Save listing, a planning grant from the Preservation Alliance, and an LCHIP grant for the first phase of building renovation. The group’s volunteer leaders effectively mobilized others in their community, including local businesses, for both in-kind and cash donations. The current grant will help fund replacement of the deteriorated roof. Yet to come is work on site drainage, restoration of stained glass windows, chimney and masonry repair, woodwork and trim repair, and exterior painting. Jamie Davis, a leader of the Blodgett Museum team, observed proudly that “restoring the Cohos Historical Society’s Marion Blodgett museum is bringing people together around the shared goal of improving our community. We’re preserving an important building, offering educational talks, exhibits and programs, and hosting community events. And we’re building stronger relationships for present and future generations.” That’s clear evidence of the many benefits of small-town preservation.
What can be learned from these five case studies? Even if a group is young and inexperienced and has no paid staff, there’s reason to hope, and help is out there. A good place to start is to contact the NH Preservation Alliance, the statewide non-profit preservation organization. Their programs, staff and resources offer guidance and encouragement to begin the Herculean journey. Many projects are small and take years to complete, but as these inspiring stories demonstrate, small town projects can be big successes.
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