Lyme Common Historic District | |
Location | Dorchester Rd., John Tomson Way, On the Common; Pleasant and Union Sts., E. Thetford Rd., Main and Market Sts., Lyme, New Hampshire |
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Area | 80 acres (32 ha) |
Architect | Multiple |
Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
NRHP reference No. | 88001435 [1] |
Added to NRHP | September 1, 1988 |
The Lyme Common Historic District encompasses the original historic center of Lyme, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it includes sixty historic buildings surrounding the town common and along surrounding roads, and is a well-preserved example of a 19th-century village center. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. [1]
The centerpiece of the 80-acre (32 ha) district is the oblong town common, a flat, grassy expanse extending east-west just south of a bend in Main Street (New Hampshire Route 10), whose visual anchor, the First Congregational Church, stands at the eastern end. The district extends along NH 10 north as far as High Street, and south a short distance beyond the common area. [2]
The common area only began to take shape in 1781, after a meeting house (now the Nichols Store) was built in 1781. The presence of the meeting house meant that the village (then known as "Lyme Plain") would be of greater civic importance than Lyme Center, located 2 miles (3 km) to the east, nearer the town's geographic center. Layout of the common was followed by the construction of a significant number of Federal and Greek Revival houses between 1790 and about 1820. The First Congregational Church was built c. 1810, at which time the horse sheds behind it were also built; these are believed to be the longest such surviving row in the state. The other major building boom in the area was in 1840-65, the years preceding the Civil War. There are some 20th century Colonial Revival structures, and later new construction (and replacement of old) has generally been sympathetic to the extant styles. [2]
Chesham is an unincorporated community within the town of Harrisville in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. Part of the village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Chesham Village District, while the southernmost portions are included in the Pottersville District, also listed on the National Register.
The Old Douglas Center Historic District encompasses the historic heart of Douglas, Massachusetts. The historic district radiates away from the town common, and is bounded by farmlands and more recent 20th-century development. There are 50 contributing resources in the 192-acre (78 ha) district. Most of the structures are residential houses in Federal and Greek Revival styles. There are a number of institutional buildings, including the 1834 Greek Revival First Congregational Church, the Craftsman-style Douglas Pastime Club building at 22 Church Street, and the c. 1770s Dudley Tavern. The town common and the adjacent Center Cemetery, laid out when the town was incorporated in 1746, are at the center of the district.
The Templeton Common Historic District encompasses the historic town center of Templeton, Massachusetts. Laid out in the 1750s, the area has been the focus of the town's civic and economic affairs since, and includes its finest assortment of 18th and early 19th-century architecture. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district was in 2010 named as one of the 1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts by the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission.
The Shrewsbury Historic District encompasses the historic early center of the town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. It consists of the town common, laid out in 1721 at what are now Main and Prospect Streets, and buildings adjacent or nearby. The district was declared locally in 1972, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Belchertown Center Historic District is a historic district which encompasses the historic village center of Belchertown, Massachusetts. Centered on Belchertown's 1,200-foot (370 m) common, the district includes 55 contributing properties along South Main Street, Maple Street, and a few adjacent streets. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Topsfield Town Common District encompasses the historic town common and surrounding buildings in Topsfield, Massachusetts. The common, established by 1650, is the traditional civic and religious center of the town, and is surrounded by houses dating from the 17th to 20th centuries, the town hall, library, and Congregational church. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Congregational Church of Goffstown is a historic Congregational church building in the center of Goffstown, New Hampshire, United States. It is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC).
The Greenfield Meeting House is a historic meeting house on Forest Road in the center of Greenfield, New Hampshire. The two-story wood-frame building was built in 1795; it is one of a small number of 18th century meeting houses in New Hampshire, and is believed to be the oldest still used for both religious and secular purposes, hosting both church services and town functions. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Amherst Village Historic District encompasses the historic village center of Amherst, New Hampshire. Centered on the town's common, which was established about 1755, Amherst Village is one of the best examples of a late-18th to early-19th century New England village center. It is roughly bounded on the north by Foundry Street and on the south by Amherst Street, although it extends along some roads beyond both. The western boundary is roughly Davis Lane, the eastern is Mack Hill Road, Old Manchester Road, and Court House Road. The district includes the Congregational Church, built c. 1771-74, and is predominantly residential, with a large number of Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival houses. Other notable non-residential buildings include the Farmer's Bank, a Federal-style brick building built in 1806, and the Amherst Brick School, a brick Greek Revival structure that has served as the School Administrative Unit 39 offices since 1997.
The Unitarian Church is a historic American church on Exeter Road in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. Built in 1838, it is a rare example of an in antes Greek Revival temple front in the state, and is distinguished by the presence of Victorian trompe-l'œil panels and ribbing on its interior walls. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is presently used for services in the summertime.
The Old Webster Meeting House is an historic meeting house at 1220 Battle Street in Webster, New Hampshire. Built in 1791, and altered in the 1840s, the meeting house is one of a small number of 18th-century meeting houses to survive in northern New England. The building was moved from its original site in 1942 to make way for a flood control project and was given modern footings for the granite foundation in 1979. The building, owned by the Society for the Preservation of the Old Meeting House, now serves as a local museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Pittsfield Center Historic District encompasses the civic and commercial heart of Pittsfield, New Hampshire. This area is defined by a roughly square bend in the Suncook River, whose power provided an impetus for the development of the town in the 19th century. The dominant feature of the district is the 1827 Joy Cotton Mill, a four-story brick building at the base of Main Street. There are three churches, including the 1863 Gothic Revival St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and the town office building, a significantly altered 1789 meeting house. The district also includes the main commercial district and some of the surrounding residential areas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Colburn Park Historic District encompasses the heart of Lebanon, New Hampshire. It consists of Colburn Park, a large rectangular park in the center of the city, the buildings that are arrayed around it, and several 19th century buildings that are immediately adjacent to those. The district covers 12 acres (4.9 ha), and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Lyme Center Historic District encompasses a modest crossroads and industrial village in rural Lyme, New Hampshire. The predominantly residential district stretches along Dorchester Road, on either side of its junction with Baker Hill Road. The village's rise in development started in the early 19th century as it was at a crossroads of the east-west Dorchester Road, and the north-south Baker Hill Road and Acorn Hill Road. The village grew rapidly in the 1820s, with a number of simple Greek Revival houses, and in 1830 the Baptist Church was built. The other major civic building in the village is the Lyme Academy, built in 1839, albeit with more Federal than Greek Revival styling. Grant Brook, which runs parallel to Dorchester Road, provided a source of power for the growth of small industrial efforts, including a sawmill at the corner of Dorchester and Baker Hill Roads. This industry provided a second minor building boom in the late 19th to early 20th century. Most of the houses in the district are vernacular Greek Revival or Cape in their styling; probably the most elaborate Greek Revival house is the 1857 Beal-Pike House at 41 Dorchester Road.
The Plymouth Historic District encompasses a cluster of five civic buildings and the town common of Plymouth, New Hampshire. The buildings are arrayed on the west side of Plymouth's town common, laid out not long after the town's settlement in 1763. The 2-acre (0.81 ha) district includes the town hall/court house, the Pemigewasset National Bank building, and the US Post Office building, as well as the Old Grafton County Courthouse. The Plymouth Congregation Church also falls within the district bounds, but is not considered contributing. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Hancock Village Historic District encompasses the town center of Hancock, New Hampshire. It extends the length of Hancock's Main Street, from Pine Ridge Cemetery and the common to the west, and the junction of Bennington, Norway Hill, and Forest roads to the east. It then extends a short way up Bennington Road. The common was laid out in 1785, and the village developed nearby over the next 100+ years. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Lower Corner Historic District encompasses a small village center in the town of Sandwich, New Hampshire. Lower Corner is a rural village that is strung along New Hampshire Route 109 on either side of its junction with School House Road, about one mile from the main village of Center Sandwich. The village was developed relatively early in Sandwich's history, although its oldest buildings now date to the early 19th century. There are 25 contributing structures, mostly residences. There are two buildings built as stores, including one of brick; all the other buildings are wood frame. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Newington Center Historic District encompasses the historic civic heart of Newington, New Hampshire. It consists of a section of Nimble Hill Road between its junction with Little Bay Road, and a gate at the southern end marking the start of territory formerly associated with Pease Air Force Base. This area includes the town common, laid out in 1640, a cluster of civic buildings, and several private residences, as well as remnants of the state's oldest town forest. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987; in 1991 an additional 69 acres (28 ha) of former town forest, now part of the airfield, were added to the district.
The Town Center Historic District encompasses the historic village center of South Hampton, New Hampshire. Centered around the Barnard Green, the town common, on New Hampshire Route 107A, it includes architectural reminders of the town's growth and change over time. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Washington Common Historic District encompasses a cluster of three civic buildings and the town common in the center of Washington, New Hampshire. The town common began as a 2-acre (0.81 ha) parcel acquired in 1787, and the current town hall followed in 1789. It is a two-story wood-frame building which originally served as both a civic and religious meeting house. The adjacent Gothic Revival Congregational Church was built in 1840. The third structure is the Schoolhouse, a 2+1⁄2-story two-room school built in 1883. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.