In celebration of Preservation Month, the Heritage Commission, Head School Society, and Historical Society will cosponsor the 15th Annual Hooksett Heritage Day. 

The Heritage Commission will host a program on Hooksett’s town cemeteries at Head Cemetery on Pleasant Street starting at 10 a.m.  Mike Horne, chair of the Hooksett Cemetery Commission, will talk about our cemeteries, past and present.

 After the Cemetery Commission program, Mackenzie Conner, a candidate for a Girl Scout Gold Award, will be debuting her project–a walking tour of Head Cemetery.  Wear comfortable shoes.

The schoolmarms of the Head School Society will be at the school till 12:30 p.m. to show guests around and answer any questions they may have.

If you’ve never had a chance to visit the Arah W. Prescott Historical Library (in front of the Old Town Hall), stop by any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and browse around.  There are lots of great photos, objects, and memorabilia.  You’re sure to learn something you didn’t know before.

As a special treat, thanks to the current owner of the circa 1794 Prescott Tavern (junction of 3A and Pine Street), visitors from noon to 3 p.m. will be allowed to tour the tavern/inn.  In the early days, guests could buy dinner for 20 cents and those wishing to imbibe could get as many glasses of rum as they wished for 3 cents each.  No dinner or rum on the 18th, but guests can view an example of conceptual plans showing the site’s possibilities.

Leading Locally: Non-Profit and Preservation Management Strategies for Historic Properties

Join staff from Historic New England and other expert professionals for the second of three Leading Locallyworkshops on issues related to managing museum, non-profit, and municipally owned historic properties.

Managing historic buildings owned by municipalities, non-profits, and small museums presents numerous challenges. In this installment of the series, explore funding mechanisms; zoning, planning, and code regulations that affect historic properties; and treatment approaches to maintaining historic buildings. Learn from preservation professionals who manage historic sites and make treatment decisions, including reviews of condition assessments, cyclical maintenance, disaster preparedness, and working with contractors.

Workshop location: Haverhill Regional Office, 151 Essex Street, Haverhill, Mass.

Workshop fee: $30 non-members; $25 for Historic New England member. Box lunch and beverages provided.

Register at HistoricNewEngland.org or call 617-994-6644 for more information.

Leading Locally: Non-Profit and Preservation Management Strategies for Historic Properties

Join staff from Historic New England and other expert professionals for the first of three Leading Locally workshops on issues related to managing museum, non-profit, and municipally owned historic properties.

Held at the Historic New England’s Haverhill Regional Office, this workshop focuses on conservation, care, and cleaning standards and methods related to small museums and historic houses. Learn from collections professionals about maintenance and cleaning of historic interiors, new approaches to integrated pest management, and conservation treatments for common objects. Includes a tour of collections storage and hands-on training stations.

Workshop location: Haverhill Regional Office, 151 Essex Street, Haverhill, Mass.

Workshop fee: $30 non-members; $25 for Historic New England member. Box lunch and beverages provided.

Register at HistoricNewEngland.org or call 617-994-6644 for more information.

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.

What does it mean to be a Strong Town? Chuck Marohn, the Founder and President of Strong Towns, will present on Wednesday, April 3 at 6:30 PM at the Portsmouth Public Library.

Mr. Marohn is a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in the State of Minnesota and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

THE PROBLEM WE FACE

For generations, North American communities have been growing—or at least, they’ve been building. But as we’ve paved endless roads, raised countless buildings and put more and more infrastructure in the ground, we’ve given almost no thought to whether future generations will be able to afford to maintain the world we’ll leave them — or how many of the things we build are making our communities worse places to live today.

THE STRONG TOWNS APPROACH

The Strong Towns approach is a radically new way of thinking about the way we build our world. We believe that in order to truly thrive, our cities and towns must:

• Stop valuing efficiency and start valuing resilience;

• Stop betting our futures on huge, irreversible projects, and
start taking small, incremental steps;

• Stop fearing change and start embracing a process of
continuous adaptation;

• Stop building our world based on abstract theories, and start
building it based on how our places actually work and what our
neighbors actually need today;

• Stop obsessing about future growth and start obsessing about
our current finances.

RSVP

We will reserve ample time for questions and discussion. The event is free and all are welcome. Please register here to help ensure sufficient seating.

Event Sponsors: Piscataqua Savings Bank, Rosamond Thaxter Foundation, Piscataqua Garden Club, and the Geoffrey E. Clark and Martha Fuller Clark Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation.

Event Partners: Seacoast Media Group, PortsmouthNH.com, Coruway Film Institute, Sailmaker House, and Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast. 

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.

2 pm - Music from the Woods peforms Fiddle & Guitar

2:30 to 3:30 pm - Presentation by Phil D’Avanza with Q&A following

Tower and church clocks have watched over our communities for generations and serve as focal points for town centers. These clock mechanisms may be rarely seen, but are appreciated by those who have the opportunity to explore their design and history. Discover the skill and passion required to keep these fascinating time machines working and learn what the future holds for their preservation.

Philip D'Avanza repairs and preserves antique clocks of all makes and sizes and specializes in tower clock repair in historic structures throughout New England.

Renowned fiddler James Pero and guitarist Stan Arthur are known as the group Music from the Woods.

SNOW DATE IS MARCH 10th.

Ever wonder about the history of your house and the people who lived there? This practical workshop helps researchers learn more about historic structures in New Hampshire, particularly the old homes that still stand in every Granite State community. Presenters Bill Veillette (executive director of the Northeast Document Conservation Center) and James L. Garvin (retired state architectural historian) demonstrate the variety of resources available to learn about New Hampshire houses, provide tips on how to approach research, and offer examples of how to “connect the dots” to create a compelling story of a historic house and its occupants, including deciphering the architectural clues found in every old house about the nature of its construction and the details of its physical features. This workshop is offered in association with the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance.

The cost is $35 for New Hampshire Historical Society members or members of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and $50 for nonmembers. Register online at Eventbrite.com, mail in the registration form, or call 603-856-0621 to register by phone and pay with a credit card.

Join Portsmouth Historic Sites Associates for the "Life & Death in the Piscataqua Region" Annual Symposium Saturday, February 9th, 10 am to 3 pm at St. John's Lodge Masonic Temple.

Topics Include:

• Rodney Rowland, Strawbery Banke Director of Special Projects & Facilities, "Water Has a Memory: The Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Cultural Resources.”

• Carolyn Roy, Warner House Board of Governors, Preview of Warner House 2019 Exhibit, “From the Mundane to the Sublime: Stoneware 1600-1775”

• Gerald W.R. Ward, Consulting Curator and Editor of the Portsmouth Marine Society Press, Portsmouth Historical Society, "New Hampshire Folk Art:  An Exhibition Preview"

• Barbara Ward, Director/Curator, Moffatt-Ladd House, "The 1779 Petition of Freedom Initiative"

• Brian Burford, Director/State Archivist, NH Archives, "Treasures of the State"
  

The annual event, a fund-raiser for the Portsmouth Historic Sites, will also include raffle baskets and the sale of additional items from PHHA members.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Click here and save $5 by purchasing tickets in advance.
Ticket includes continental breakfast, lunch of homemade soup and five illustrated talks.

The Durham Historic Association will host "Unearthing the Clues at the Burnham Garrison" on Saturday, January 26th at 1 p.m. in the Durham Town Hall Council Chambers.  

How did residents of the Oyster River Plantation live during the 1600’s and what articles did they use in their homes?  Archaeologist Meghan Howey will share some surprising discoveries about life in Durham more than three centuries ago.  Professor Howey and her crew have been surveying the Burnham Garrison site, one of the fortified houses on the Oyster River that withstood many attacks, including the French and Indian attack of 1694.

Refreshments will be served.  Snow date is Sunday, January 27th.  

Join the town in celebrating the 1913 town hall and its recent listing to the New Hampshire Register of Historic Places. The event will include an outline of proposed restoration and presentations on why New Hampshire’s town halls matter.

Christmas at Canterbury is a chance to experience the delights of Christmas in a simpler era. Join us inside the historic Shaker buildings to watch an old-time 19th Century magic show, meet Father Christmas, make Christmas-inspired crafts, admire a toy train display or listen to fiddlers. Enjoy hot cider and singing Christmas carols as we light the Village Christmas tree. This classic holiday event is a family favorite

Cost: $18 for adults, $8 for children 6-17, under 5 free. Members half priced.

Join John Porter, co-author of “Preserving Old Barns: Preventing The Loss Of A Valuable Resource” and former dairy specialist at UNH Cooperative Extension for over 30 years, discuss the history of NH’s barns.

This program is part of NHTI’s "Wings of Knowledge” lecture series.

Free, with refreshments served.

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.

Join local timber framer Tim Baker at Enfield Shaker Village for a second session on timber framing and the joinery techniques used in historic Shaker buildings. Build on your work from the first session or start with the 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. Participants will have an opportunity to work on the restoration of a timber frame in a Shaker building on site.  All tools and materials will be supplied. Please bring a bag lunch. The workshop will meet on the back porch of the Great Stone Dwelling.

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 the Museum at education@shakermuseum.org

Join Howard Mansfield at Gibson’s Bookstore Wednesday night as he discusses his new book The Habit of Turning the World Upside Down. He writes about architecture, preservation, and history in his quest to understand the soul of American places.

“During the past few years, while reporting on citizens fighting natural gas pipelines and transmission towers planned to cut right across their homes, I saw the emotional toll of these projects. They got under the skin. This was about more than kilowatts, powerlines, and pipelines. Something in this upheaval felt familiar. I began to realize that I was witnessing an essential American experience: the world turned upside down. And it all turned on one word: property”

Old Houses often struggle with musty, excessively humid and wet basements that can lead to unhealthy living conditions and expensive house repairs.

Join Beverly Thomas, Program Director at the NH Preservation Alliance, Rodney Rowland, Director of Facilities and Special Projects at Strawbery Banke, Don Woods, Woods & Co. Civil Engineering, and Steve Bedard of Bedard Preservation & Restoration as they cover everything from basic practical tips to more technical solutions to preventing water infiltration and high humidity levels in your basement. Learn how proper grade, vapor barriers, perimeter drains, swales, sump pumps, and dehumidifiers can be used to improve the environment of old house basements.

Following the presentation participants will have the opportunity to explore the basements of four museum houses, discuss the water mitigation efforts that have been applied, and observe how the recent increase in cyclical ground water levels has affected their results.

Registration is required. Please call the Preservation Alliance to register, (603) 224-2281.

$15 for Preservation Alliance and Strawberry Banke Members. Non-members $20. Preservation Alliance New-member Special $35 (includes program fee and a 1-year Alliance membership). WALK-INS WELCOME.

Photo courtesy of Rodney Rowland, Strawbery Banke Museum

GHOSTS and the paranormal—For the past 15 years, Kelly Rogers has been investigating haunted sites in the area. In her presentation, she’ll demonstrate some investigative equipment and talk about specific sites in the area. Her goal is to investigate, resolve, comfort and educate people about this often felt and sometimes seen spirit world.

DO YOU HAVE A HAUNTING STORY? Kelly wants to hear your stories or will answer questions of hauntings in your house, neighborhood or area.

This program will be educational, exciting, fun and, maybe, a little spine tingling! Please join us for a look into the paranormal as we get into the season of ghosts and goblins!

Hosted by the Bartlett Historical Society. Questions? Call Norman Head @ 603-986-6278

To offset presentation costs, donations are gratefully accepted at the door.

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.

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.

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:

1. Maximum people for this tour is 25.
2. This is a part driving part walking tour.
3. A bus will meet you at the Town Office in Hancock.
4. Town Office Building at 50 Main St, in Hancock.
5. Parking is available behind the Town Office.
6. Please wear sensible walking shoes for this tour. No heels or sandals. You will have a 1/2 mile walk to see old cellar holes.

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.