Every house has a history, but how do you discover yours? Join the NH Preservation Alliance’s Andrew Cushing as he explores tools, tricks, and tips for researching your old house. Using a combination of sources – common and uncommon – anyone can start to assemble a fuller history of their house’s history.
Historic New England partners with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation to present a two-day workshop on design review for preservation planning. Historic district and design review commission members, local planners, students, and advocates for historic preservation learn how to plan for preserving neighborhoods, downtowns, and village centers using design review bylaws.
The workshop features lectures by experts from across New England. Learn how to apply the Secretary of the Interior's Treatment Standards and develop design guidelines. Use those standards and guidelines in field exercises on specific preservation projects in White River Junction, Vermont. The workshop culminates in a mock public hearing session that puts lessons learned into practice.
$20
Registration required. Call 802-989-4723 or 617-994-6644 for more information, or register online.
A limited number of discounted rooms will be available at the Hotel Coolidge. To reserve, call 800-622-1124.
Join us when we announce 2018's listees to our Seven to Save program.
Our host site this year is Washington, home of the 1787 Washington Meetinghouse, which has undergone a $1.4 M rehabilitation since being listed in 2014. The evening will include the announcement, followed by refreshments, and updates on previous Seven to Save properties.
Between 3:30 and 5pm, we also encourage you to tour local landmarks, including:
Shedd Free Library, Gibson Pewter, the 1787 Meetinghouse, and the Historical Society barn (which won a Preservation Achievement Award in 2006). Maps and more information will be available at registration.
Portsmouth is fortunate to have several houses where expensive English flock wallpapers from the 18th century remain on the walls. Fragments of other flocked patterns have been found over the years, including two recently discovered in the Moffatt-Ladd House. This lecture will discuss these discoveries, as well as the other types of wallpaper patterns that were used to embellish Portsmouth’s handsome architecture and provide a backdrop for its stylish furniture.
Every house has a history, but how do you discover yours? Join the NH Preservation Alliance’s Andrew Cushing as he explores tools, tricks, and tips for researching your old house. Using a combination of sources – common and uncommon – anyone can start to assemble a fuller history of their house’s history.
Peter Michaud, former National Register & Preservation Tax Incentives Coordinator at the NH Division of Historical Resources will give a talk on architect Eric T. Huddleston.
Huddleston was influential in creating a master plan for the University of New Hampshire campus as well as designing many of its iconic buildings. Peter Michaud will explore Huddleston’s influence as an architect beyond his work at UNH by exploring the work of his private firm, as well as the work of the architects he trained.
Hancock, a quintessential New England village, defies the march of time. At first glance, this little village seems to be slumbering away quite peacefully. However, buried just beneath the Colonial veneer of this seemingly all-white town is a vibrant history of early Black settlers who worked, bought land, built homes, challenged the church and struggled for freedom. Today, all that is left are the abandoned artifacts of that early life: their roads, their walls, their cellar holes and their scant records.
Hear about the anti-slavery riot that occurred in Hancock. Discover the stories of Jack Ware a former enslaved man and members of the Due family and hear how Hanna Due defied the church on this part-walking/part-driving tour with Eric Aldrich as you explore the holes their homes left behind. Eric will also have original documents for you to see.
$25 per person
Important Notes for this tour:
The historic orchard at Jackson House (c. 1664) comes alive with children's games, crafts, and seasonal refreshments during this early fall festival. Help grind apples and press cider. Watch artisans demonstrate their craft. Tour the oldest house in northern New England. Received 2018 Preservation Award from New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. Animals from Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm make their yearly visit to the house. Special performances by New Hampshire Theatre Project and New England Irish Harp Orchestra.
Free to Historic New England members
$6 nonmembers
$3 nonmember children
Please call 603-436-3205 or buy tickets online.
Come visit the St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church for an Egyptian food festival. Come explore this landmark marble church, built in 1896 which was listed in 2016 to Seven to Save. Tours of the church will be offered.
Free Admission. The festival includes authentic Egyptian Cuisine and Coptic music, face painting and kids activities, prize drawings, a photo booth, and more. This is a three day event. Friday 4-9pm, Saturday 11-8pm, and Sunday 12-6pm.
Help support the ongoing restoration of this unique architectural landmark.
Every house has a history, but how do you discover yours? Join the NH Preservation Alliance’s Andrew Cushing as he explores tools, tricks, and tips for researching your old house. Using a combination of sources – common and uncommon – anyone can start to assemble a fuller history of their house’s history.
Visit the neighborhood of Manchester's movers and shakers when the new century dawned in the early 1900s. Learn about the amazing mansions of North River Road, and a controversial dump! Join local historians Dick Duckoff and Matt Labbe for a unique tour in the city's North End.
The tour is $5 for Manchester Historic Association members and $10 for the general public
Pre-registration is required - Please call (603) 622-7531
Meet at the parking lot of the Brookside Congregational Church, corner of Elm and Clarke Streets. NOTE: The tour will finish on River Road near Stark Park
Join local timber framer Tim Baker on a tour of two Shaker buildings with exposed timber frames to see examples of historic and restoration joinery techniques. Learn timber framing fundamentals while you try your hand at the layout and cutting of mortise-and-tenon joints and carving wooden pegs. The proper use of hand tools to cut joinery and tool sharpening will also be covered. All tools and materials will be supplied. Please bring a bag lunch. Participants will prepare and install a replacement timber in a Shaker building on site.
Cost: $75 per person. $68 for members. Class size limited to 10 so register early!
For more information or to register, call the Museum at (603) 632-4346 or email education@shakermuseum.org
Join us for a detailed discussion for property owners seeking to ensure the property they love will become part of a family legacy that will be enjoyed for generations to come. Attendees of similar programs in past have gained practical information as well as inspiration for the work needed to meet their goals.
Sponsored by Squam Lakes Conservation Society, Squam Lakes Association, Lakes Region Conservation Trust and NH Preservation Alliance.
Contact: SLCS, (603) 968-7900
The Center for Painted Wall Preservation (CPWP), a not for profit organization dedicated to the preservation of 18th and 19th century paint decorated walls, will host a lecture and tour of four unique residences with amazing original wall murals, three of which are in private residences. These represent some of the best extant examples of the itinerant muralists of the first half of the 1800s.
Sanborn Mills Farm
Blacksmithing, draft animal power, ox yoke making, timber framing, water-powered grist mill & sawmill demonstrations throughout the day.
Free admission. No registration needed. Donations to support our educational programs gratefully accepted. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch & spend the day!
As the mills will be running and some buildings are under construction, each child under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Sanborn Mills Farm
7097 Sanborn Road
Loudon, New Hampshire 03307
603-435-7314
The Hancock Woman’s Club invites you to enjoy a day in historic Hancock.
Six distinctive homes and six gardens will be showcased from 10am to 4pm. View 100-200 year old restored homes that maintain their grace and charm. Luscious gardens on the tour vary from English to off-the-grid.
Margaret Hensel, noted gardener and landscape designer and author will be visiting one the gardens during the Tour. She will give two talks during the day on “Creating the Cottage Style”.
Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 on the day of the Tour.
For more Information visit the Hancock Woman's Club website.
Travel the trail of the visionaries and the successful citizens of Manchester's Victorian era. See the elegant Straw mansion, the fairgrounds and trotting park, and the site of Webster General Hospital! Join local historians Dick Duckoff and Matt Labbe for a unique tour in the city's North End.
$5 Manchester Historic Association members - $10 General Public. Pre-registration is required - Please call (603) 622-7531 . The tour will meet in the Goodwin Funeral Home parking lot at 10 am.
Help celebrate the Concord State House's bicentennial! On Saturday, July 14, 2018, the State House Bicentennial Commission will host the 200th Anniversary of the Toast to the Eagle at the New Hampshire State House.
The ceremony will consist of the 13 toasts that were offered at the original setting of the Eagle on July 18, 1818. Entry for the beer garden begins at 2:30, with the celebration beginning at 3 p.m. Also an opportunity to view the new 45 minute documentary "Restoration," that showcases the recent award winning State House dome project. The film will be shown on loop after the toasts, from around 3:30-5:30, in room 101 of the State House.
In addition, the New Hampshire Historical Society will offer free admission to visitors who want to see the original eagle as well as museum exhibitions on Saturday, July 14, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Food, Fun, Olde Fashioned Games, Children’s Crafts, Vendors, Music.... along Town House Road in the Center Effingham Historic District; Open House at three historic buildings: Grange Hall, Baptist Church and Cemetery, and Masonic Hall (on the 3rd floor of the Effingham public library) featuring “trompe l’ oeil” - “fool the eye” 1860 murals (on the 3rd floor of the Effingham public library). Field parking for the day's events near library.
How do we build community interest and support for the industrial assets we manage, direct, supervise and steward?
Symposium includes a special presentation from Dr. Emily Murphy, curator, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, on “The next 50 years of industrial history at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site” and a variety of exercises and facilitated conversations to pursue three goals:
1. Establish an active network of professional colleagues from the region;
2. Achieve consensus on 3 -5 action steps; and
3. Plan to meet again to share among ourselves and advance our efforts.
Potential action areas include, but are not limited to:
1. The design and presentation of public programs in museums,
2. The role of industrial resources (and associated museums) as engines for economic development,
3. Strategies for building connections to young audiences,
4. Others issues brought forward by participants.
This is an opportunity to meet with like-minded colleagues, explore mutual interests, learn what is happening in the region, and take initial actions that will help us improve engagement among our communities, constituents and stakeholders.
Coffee and breakfast snacks will be available upon arrival. After the program, stay for lunch (ad hoc) and tour the Amesbury Millyard.
Please RSVP by June 8 by emailing John Mayer, director, Amesbury Carriage Museum at jmayer@amesburycarriagemuseum.com
Rick Tillotson presents the story of the historic Balsams Grand Resort, in Dixville Notch. The Balsams was opened shortly after the Civil War as a 25 room inn. From 1870 – 1920, major construction projects grew the Balsams to the notable resort that it became. In the 1930s, the number of visitors staying at the grand hotels started to decline but the Balsams adapted and stayed in operation until 2011. In 1960, the resort began its tradition of hosting the “first in the nation voting” (although friends in Hart’s Location might have something to say about that—they started in 1948). Now under new ownership, efforts are underway to restore, expand and reopen the resort.
Open to the public; donations accepted at the door. Hosted by the Bartlett Historical Society.
Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s Greatest Architect.
A presentation on his life and work by Michael Behrendt.
Contact: Jess Ross 603-868-6699 jross@ci.durham.nh.us
Location: Durham Public Library, 49 Madbury Road - Durham, NH 03824
Community Room - Midsized Room
Keene's Architectural Roadshow for Historic Home Enthusiasts - third in the series
Explore Keene's diverse architectural styles and early neighborhoods with local expert James Rousmaniere and attend a guided walking tour of one of Keene's historic neighborhoods.
The Stratham Heritage Commission is offering free guided tours of the historic Bartlett-Cushman House at 82 Portsmouth Avenue on Saturday, June 2. The first tour will begin at 10 AM and the last will begin at 2 PM. Tours, lasting up to half an hour, will be limited to no more than 20 participants. Tours will start on the hour and half hour. Reservations are not required but to reserve ahead email Heritage@strathamnh.gov or telephone /text Rebecca Mitchell at 603-617-6064.Parking is available at the Stratham Municipal Center, 10 Bunker Hill Ave.
The Town purchased the Bartlett-Cushman property in 2013 to prevent destructive redevelopment of the house and to acquire land for future municipal needs. The U.S. Department of the Interior listed the Bartlett-Cushman House on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, citing the architectural distinction of the house and the insight the property provides into the life patterns of 19th and 20th century families in a rural New Hampshire town.
Visit the Village for Traditional Craft Days to learn about and participate in traditional arts and crafts! There will be vendors and demonstrators showing off their craft in wood working, stone wall building, weaving, rug hooking, broom making, oval box making, letterpress printing, and much more! Visit with an artisan, participate in hands-on activities, enjoy music and food, and find out where you can learn to make the crafts that interest you!
Regular admission is: $19/adults, $9/children 6-17, $45 for families (2 adults and 2 or more children), 5 and under free, and Canterbury Shaker Village Members free.
Location: Canterbury Shaker Village Grounds
The Farm at Eastman’s Corner is a year-round NH farm and marketplace committed to supporting local farmers and food producers. Join us for local food and drinks plus a tour as we explore the farm and its commitment to sustainability. Tour will feature solar trackers, rooftop solar arrays, and electric car chargers. Learn how affordable solar energy can lower your operating costs and your carbon footprint while increasing customer loyalty.
Please RSVP here. Questions? Contact Christina at czlotnick@revisionenergy.com or call 603.679.1777
From its earliest settlements New Hampshire has struggled with issues surrounding the treatment of its poor. The early Northeastern colonies followed the lead of England's 1601 Poor Law, which imposed compulsory taxes for maintenance of the poor but made no distinction between the "vagrant, vicious poor" and the helpless, and honest poor. This confusion persisted for generations and led directly to establishment in most of the state's towns of alms houses and poor farms and, later, county institutions which would collectively come to form a dark chapter in New Hampshire history. Steve Taylor will examine how paupers were treated in these facilities and how reformers eventually succeeded in closing them down.
Bath Public Library, 4 Lisbon Rd, Bath
In the early 20th century, the New Hampshire Board of Agriculture launched a program to boost the rural economy and promote tourism through the sale of abandoned farms to summer residents. After introducing the country house movement, Cristina Ashjian focuses attention on some of the great country estates featured in the New Hampshire program between 1902 and 1913. Which private estates were recognized as exemplary, and who were their owners? Using historic images and texts, Ashjian discusses well-known estates now open to the public such as The Fells on Lake Sunapee, The Rocks in Bethlehem, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, and she includes local examples when possible.
Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord, NH
Join us on May 23rd to hear, discuss and connect with others as they share lessons learned in their Comeback Communities.
To begin the dialogue, the Idea Exchange will start with four Comeback Communities - each in a different stage of comeback - to discuss their progression through these three stages:
THINK - The origins and genesis of their "Comeback"
GET - Identifying how they are got, and are getting the required resources
DO - Implementing their Comeback; their action steps and actors.
Others will be there who can help with your community's questions, offer assistance, and share lessons learned. Owners, developers, funders, investors, residents and the "comeback-er" - people have comeback to give-back - will be exchanging ideas and experiences.
Come and share, discuss, learn and help your community.
Featured communities include Rutland City and White River Jct, VT and the cities of Claremont and Franklin, New Hampshire.
Cost: $40 includes continental breakfast and lunch
Location: Engine Room Conference Center, 188 South Main Street, White River Junction, VT 05001
Additional Questions, contact Stuart Arnett at 603-219-0043 or email:
stuart@arnettdevelopmentgroup.com
Monday May 21 | 6 – 8:00 PM
The library’s Local History series features authors and experts on local history topics. The series continued in March with Katy Kramer, author of Portsmouth Naval Prison (2016). The event was so popular that she's coming back for another talk!
Sometimes referred to as “The Castle” or “The Rock” for its unique architecture, the former Portsmouth Naval Prison on Seavey Island has long fascinated residents and visitors.
Kramer’s book followed a decade of research. Her presentation uses archival photographs from museums, libraries and military facilities up and down the East Coast. She will show many rarely seen photographs, recount the actual history, dispel myths, and answer any of the lingering questions that continue to swirl around this iconic building. From its opening in 1908 to its closing in 1974, more than 86,000 men passed through the prison. Today it is vacant, but has a rich and storied history, including its history of prison reform.
Kramer became interested in the prison while living on the New Hampshire Seacoast. After a long career in public education and armed with a newly acquired master’s in journalism, she began what turned out to be an extensive search for information.
LIBRARY PROGRAM
CONTACT: Nicole Luongo Cloutier 603-766-1725 nlcloutier@cityofportsmouth.com
LOCATION: Levenson Room
14th Annual Hooksett Heritage Day includes:
7am-3pm: Roots at Robie's Country Store (porch munchies and $5 coupons to customers)
10am-2pm: Heritage Commission and Robie's Country Store Historic Preservation Corp. meet and greet, "What is it?" object table, and merchandise for sale
11am-1:30pm: Historical Society at the Prescott Historical Library open
11am-1:30pm: tours of the Old Town Hall, undergoing restoration
2pm: birthday celebration for Hooksett's Governor Head, Head Cemetery and Head School
Friday, May 18, 2018, at noon
Guided Gallery Tours
Enjoy a guided tour of the New Hampshire Historical Society’s historic Park Street building and exhibitions led by a member of the Society’s education or volunteer docent staff. Find out more about New Hampshire’s “Temple of History” and hear stories about the objects on display. From a 500-year-old dugout canoe to a 1972 Ski-doo, the exhibitions on display at the New Hampshire Historical Society show you things you can’t see anywhere else. Guided gallery tours are 45 minutes long and are appropriate for visitors of all ages. The tour is included in the price of paid admission for adult and family audiences. New Hampshire Historical Society members are admitted for free. Reservations are not accepted. Availability is on a first-come-first-served basis, and tours are capped at 12 people. To schedule a guided tour for an adult group of 12 or more people, see our group tours page or contact Assistant Director of Education and Public Programs Jenn Walton at jwalton@nhhistory.org or 603-856-0645. Youth and school groups of any size must schedule a guided visit in advance.
The Appalachian Mountain Club's Hut System is a unique institution in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Allen Koop explores how the huts and the people who built, maintain and use them have formed a world apart, a mountain society with its own history, traditions, and legends.
Joseph Patch Library, 320 Route 25, Warren, NH
New England's colonial meetinghouses embody an important yet little-known chapter in American history. Built mostly with tax money, they served as both places of worship and places for town meetings, and were the centers of life in colonial New England communities. Using photographs of the few surviving "mint condition" meetinghouses as illustrations, Paul Wainwright tells the story of the society that built and used them, and the lasting impact they have had on American culture.
Chamberlin Free Public Library, 46 Main Street, Greenville, NH
Learn more at SymphonyNH.org.
Date: Sunday, May 13, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church of Nashua, 39 Chandler Street, Nashua, NH 03064
Family-Friendly, Restrooms available on site, Wheelchair accessible
