Restoring Historic Places Enriches Cultural Life
Three Arts, Culture and Educational Non-profits in the Seacoast Receive Grants to Restore their Buildings
Historic buildings are well-suited to use by non-profit cultural organizations. In addition to offering educational tours, classes, exhibits, and programs, many are preserving important historic buildings that enrich and complement their mission. When cultural organizations make significant investments in the maintenance and repair of their historic buildings, they are giving back to their community by preserving local character and supporting the local economy.
The Friends of Centennial Hall in North Hampton has been maintaining and renovating this former school and using it as performing arts and community meeting space since 1997.
New Hampshire is full of cultural organizations that own or operate historic places with great natural beauty, important associations, distinctive architecture, or fascinating stories. In the Seacoast, three of these places have recently received preservation grants from the NH Preservation Alliance in partnership with The 1772 Foundation. Each organization will provide a match for the funding, and use the money to maintain and improve their landmark buildings. The work that they do will follow the standards set forth in the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
The Friends of Centennial Hall in North Hampton will use its $10,000 grant toward a $2.6 million rehabilitation campaign to repair the roof, windows and other infrastructure, upgrade HVAC systems, and install a sprinkler system to make all three floors code-compliant. Since 1997 the Friends of Centennial Hall has been renovating and maintaining this 1876 National Register-listed structure as performing arts and community space. It was once a combined school and public venue and still stands at a well-traveled intersection next to a picturesque church. Marcy McCann, Board President, said “Centennial Hall brings people together to share in the arts, boost the creative economy and enhance the social and learning opportunities in the community. Not only are we protecting a local landmark, but we are also planning to make the building economically sustainable by allowing rentals of the second-floor Grand Ballroom, the most beautiful space in the building.”
The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden in Portsmouth has been a museum since 1912. The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Hampshire, owner of the house, is committed to high standards of maintenance.
The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden in Portsmouth, a National Historic Landmark, will use their grant of $8,827 toward the required match for an LCHIP grant to fully restore all the masonry elements in their historic house museum and its adjacent 1832 Counting House. Owned by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Hampshire, Moffatt-Ladd has been a museum since 1912. It is one of the must-see destinations on any historic house tour of Portsmouth, providing a taste of how generations of wealthy merchants lived overlooking their wharves on Portsmouth Harbor. “Our need right now is to stop water encroachment around the chimneys, repair problems in both foundations, and address evidence of leaks on the walls,” said director/curator Barbara M. Ward. “Our goal is to be good stewards of this property and have visitors experience the property as it was meant to be seen.”
The Oceanic Hotel at Star Island welcomes conference and retreat participants to their sprawling complex at the Isles of Shoals. Currently they are closed due to the 2020 pandemic.
The Star Island Corporation will receive $6,113 for the Oceanic Hotel on Star Island at the Isles of Shoals in Rye. Defined by its imposing wood-framed structures, its location ten miles off the coast of Rye, and its lively summer retreat clientele, the hotel and conference center is committed to providing secure fire protection systems. Guests are welcomed for affordable retreats and conferences from June to September, and for daily excursions to explore the island. This grant will support replacement of sprinkler heads, pipes and fittings in the hotel and other island buildings that the nonprofit Star Island Corporation has owned and operated since 1916. Peter Squires, Director of Development, explained that “Star Island is a distinct public space, a historic site, a unique travel destination, and a cherished cultural and educational resource in the State of New Hampshire. Thanks to many generous supporters, we are able to preserve this grand hotel in the harsh island climate and assure that necessary life safety systems are in place.”
The preservation ethic that these three places share and the stories and experiences they offer are inextricably linked. By investing in preserving the past, they also enrich the present. The NH Preservation Alliance is pleased to support their efforts.
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