Community Preservation Project 2023 Resolutions: Add to these Voices from Around the State

With 2023 right around the corner, many of us are thinking optimistically about resolutions. We asked community leaders around the state what their resolutions are, as they relate to the significant places they’re working to save.

Up north in Columbia, the Great North Woods Center for the Arts is busy converting a former stock farm-turned inn-turned-novitiate into a hub of musical, cultural, and performing arts. The enormous property offers grounds and buildings for a variety of events, but also needs a lot of investment. Nancy Gray, the GNWCA treasurer, says that 2023 will be the year of bathrooms. “Our resolution is to renovate the old seasonal restrooms in the barn building to create two pleasant and functional men's and women's restrooms.” They also hope to create a permanent art gallery for their partners, the Connecticut River Artisan Group (CRAG), in one of the site’s more unique spaces called the “stained glass room.”

In one of the state’s least populated towns – Orange – 2023 will be the year of an LCHIP-funded rehabilitation at the historic town hall. “Our resolution as we restore and maintain our traditional New England Town House, is to also restore and maintain our New England spirit of community, democracy, freedom, and independence,” said Doug Weekes.

Want to read more about LCHIP [the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program] and their 2022 grantees?

That New England spirit of democracy will also be needed in Raymond, where Terrie Dolan of the Historic District Commission is hoping to also establish a Heritage Commission. Dolan’s resolutions also include roofing the newly-listed Seven to Save Bean Tavern. Part of the proceeds for that roof will ideally come from a crowd-sourced scenic calendar.

The Bean Tavern was included on our 2022 Seven to Save list.

And in Laconia, “The membership of the United Baptist Church of Lakeport continues to strengthen its resolve to save our historic church building,” according to that project’s champion, Wayne Hackett. A building assessment showed structural deficiencies with the National Register-listed landmark…with a multi-million dollar price tag.  “We don’t know, at this moment, just how that will be accomplished, but we resolve to exhaust all possibilities!”

The United Baptist Church of Lakeport was included on our 2021 Seven to Save list.

Along the way, the N.H. Preservation Alliance resolves to continue helping projects of all sizes, in towns and cities of all sizes.

Do you have New Year’s resolutions? Let us know!