2022 Preservation Achievement Award Winner: Mill Hollow Heritage Association

The N.H. Preservation Alliance is pleased to announce our 2022 Preservation Achievement Award winner, the Mill Hollow Heritage Association, for the revitalization and rehabilitation of Chase’s Mill in Alstead, with support from Ingram Construction, DB Architects, Robert Brown and Juliana Stevens, Dan and Joyce Curll, Margaret (Chase) Perry, the Putnam Foundation, the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, and the Northern Border Regional Commission/Northeast Heritage Economy Program.

Brimming with deeply committed people, the power of place, and the power of learning, this project took 5 years, $750,000, and hundreds of hours of volunteer labor. Chase's Mill anchors a village that grew up around a common feature that drew settlement to rural New Hampshire: a stream with its significant "head" or fall of water. This mill was built on the site of a much-earlier dam and mills at a time when waterpower had largely been replaced by steam and gasoline-power.

Nevertheless, Hartley Dennett, built this mill between 1917 and 1919 and installed two 19th century turbines that still function today. His stepson and successor, Heman Chase, operated the Mill into the 1980s, welcoming children who came to play and learn woodworking.

Chase’s Mill in Alstead, NH. Photo credit: Mill Hollow Heritage Association

After Chase's death, the vacant structure deteriorated. Foundation stones shifted and under-pinning beams and roof rafters rotted. The state's Dam Safety Bureau mandated repairs to maintain the dam's "low hazard" status and set deadlines for compliance.

In 2012, the nonprofit Mill Hollow Heritage Association was founded to save and reuse the building. Armed with a building assessment and a deeply committed leadership team, they embarked on a rehabilitation that would honor the evolution and character of the Mill, continue the Dennett/Chase tradition, and make it safe and welcoming.

The stone foundation, some of it likely dating from the mid-1700s, was stabilized first. Next, where in-kind wood replacement was needed, the team secured timbers locally and branded those components with an unobtrusive date stamp. Shingle siding was replaced, windows were repaired, and the building's original dormers were rebuilt.

Rehabilitation of the dam and hydropower was a fundamental component. Today, a small turbine powers a simple system that illuminates the lower two floors of the Mill, demonstrating sustainable green energy. A larger turbine turns a system of belts and pulleys that illustrate more powerful uses of waterpower. In the Mill's shed a dismantled third turbine shows visitors how this technology worked.

Every stage of rehabilitation engaged more neighbors, members of the Dennett and Chase families, and people who had been students of Heman Chase. A series of highly engaging virtual programs reached audiences across the country during the pandemic, doubling the Mill’s base of supporters.

In 2021, the mill hosted summer classes in timber framing, tool sharpening, felting, using a lathe, and tile making. The Mill Hollow Heritage Association is inspires new generations of students and helps sustain commitment to preservation-related trades.

The Preservation Alliance is honoring the Mill Hollow Heritage Association with the Elizabeth Durfee Hengen Award, which it bestows from time to time for excellence in preservation planning, education and advocacy in honor of its former chairman who embodies those commitments and abilities. This impressive venture has brought an endangered historic mill building back to life and linked its heritage with future educational and community development ventures in a model that we hope others might emulate.

Read about the rest of our 2022 Preservation Achievement Award Winners here.