Seven to Save 2023: Plainfield Town Hall and Maxfield Parrish Stage Set

The Plainfield Village Town Hall is not like any other town hall in New Hampshire. Yes, it struggles with wild swings in humidity and temperatures, wet basements, and peeling paint. But the Plainfield Town Hall boasts a three-dimensional Stage Set designed by Maxfield Parrish in 1916. This Stage Set also includes original associated rigging and lighting, which can be orchestrated using red, amber, and blue lighting to create the illusion of a full day, from sunrise to sunset light show.

The town hall started as the Plainfield Meetinghouse when it was constructed three miles away in 1798. In 1810 it was moved, and in 1846, moved again to its present location. During those moves, the building was altered and renovated to become a one-story town house with Greek Revival detailing. In 1916, William Howard Hart, a Cornish Colony summer resident and theater designer, approached the town and proposed that he would build the rear stage addition if they would provide the foundation. The town voted in favor of the project at town meeting and also electrified the building.

Hart asked Maxfield Parrish to design the first stage set for the hall. Parrish came to Cornish and Plainfield to visit his father, Stephen, an artist and member of the Cornish Colony together with Augustus St. Gaudens, Thomas Dewing, and Charles Platt, and other artists. He then moved to Plainfield full time where he built his house and studio, The Oaks. He was well-known for his magazine covers and advertisements, but eventually became renowned for his “girls on rocks,” the painting “Daybreak”, and stunning landscapes with historic blue tones. His Plainfield design centered on nearby Mount Ascutney and the Connecticut River. It included six wings and three overhead drapes to create an enveloping woodland scene. The scenery and accompanying lighting similar to that used at the time in the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, created what some called the “most beautiful stage north of Boston.”

For decades, the town hall was used for original plays, community events, dances, suppers, town meetings, and even rifle practice. When the town hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the Stage Set had deteriorated and needed conservation. In the 1990s, volunteers raised the funds needed to clean and repair the scenery and received town support for some updates and renovations on the town hall.

Unfortunately, the moisture problems in the basement were not entirely solved and the Stage Set now needs further conservation treatment. Outdated electrical systems, a poorly placed mechanical room below the stage, and the original lighting which runs hot further jeopardize the nationally significant work of art. A better drainage plan and foundation repair and repointing are also paramount.

To date, a local committee has received funding from LCHIP and the conservation license plate fund through the NH State Council on the Arts. The committee is now pursuing a holistic plan for the building, monitoring humidity levels, and implementing short term solutions until more permanent foundation work and moisture mitigation can occur.

The Preservation Alliance is committed to ensuring the success of the Town Hall Committee’s work. This Seven to Save designation hopes to draw attention to Plainfield’s significant piece of public art and make sure the Maxfield Parrish Stage Set does not perish and is preserved for future generations.

Stay up to date on this program, including when submissions open for next year’s list, and browse listees from past years (we’ve been highlighting endangered properties since 2006!) by visiting the Seven to Save homepage.

Are you part of a group involved with one of our previous listees? We’d love to hear how you’re doing! Call us at (603) 224-2281 or email seventosave@nhpreservation.org.