New Durham Town Hall

Last updated
New Durham Town Hall
Town Hall, New Durham, NH.jpg
Town Hall in 1908
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationMain St. and Ridge Rd., New Durham, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°26′2″N71°9′55″W / 43.43389°N 71.16528°W / 43.43389; -71.16528 Coordinates: 43°26′2″N71°9′55″W / 43.43389°N 71.16528°W / 43.43389; -71.16528
Arealess than one acre
Built1908 (1908)
Architect Alvah T. Ramsdell
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Italianate
NRHP reference No. 80000313 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1980

The New Durham Town Hall is located at Main Street and Ridge Road in the center of New Durham, New Hampshire. Built in 1908, it is the town's second town hall, and an architecturally distinctive design of Dover architect Alvah T. Ramsdell. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. [1]

Contents

Description and history

New Durham's town hall is prominently located in its village center, at the northwest corner of Main Street and Ridge Road. It is a 2+12-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof and clapboarded exterior. It is a stylistically distinctive combination of Colonial Revival and Italianate design, with an elaborately decorated hood sheltering the recessed entry. The northeast corner of the building is taken up by a 55-foot (17 m) tower, which has corner pilasters rising to the third stage, and a hipped roof topped by a weathervane. The interior houses town offices on the ground floor, and an auditorium and meeting space on the upper level. [2]

2016 photo NewDurhamNH TownHall.jpg
2016 photo

The town hall was built in 1908, replacing in function the town's original 1770 meetinghouse, which still stands in the rural New Durham Corner area to the south. The new location of the town's civic heart was occasioned by changes in the town's economic focus due to the construction of new roads, and arrival in the 1850s of the railroad. In addition to serving its civic function, the upstairs hall is also a social center, housing meetings and events of community groups. Alvah Ramsdell, the architect, was prominent in the region, designing a number of similar town halls, as well as schools and commercial buildings. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Ware Town Hall United States historic place

Ware Town Hall is a historic town hall at Main and West Streets in Ware, Massachusetts. It was built in 1885 to a design by the architectural firm of Hartwell and Richardson, and is a prominent local example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The building, enlarged in 1904 and 1935 with stylistically sensitive additions, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Union Chapel (Hillsborough, New Hampshire) United States historic place

Union Chapel is a historic chapel in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Completed in 1887, it has been a center of local civic life since then, and is architecturally a distinctive local example of Stick/Eastlake design. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Second Rindge Meetinghouse, Horsesheds and Cemetery Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Second Rindge Meetinghouse, Horsesheds and Cemetery is a historic meeting house and cemetery on Old US 202 and Rindge Common in Rindge, New Hampshire. Built in 1796, it is relatively distinctive in New England as one of few such meeting houses where both civic and religious functions are still accommodated, housing both the town offices and a church congregation. The town's first cemetery, established in 1764, lies to the north of the meetinghouse. It is the resting place of many of Rindge's early settlers, and of its American Revolutionary War veterans. Behind the meetinghouse stand a row of horse sheds, the only one of the two rows of them which originally served the meetinghouse. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Hill Center Church Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Hill Center Church is a historic church on Murray Hill Road in Hill, New Hampshire. Built in 1799 and extensively altered in 1847, it is a well-preserved example of Gothic Revival architecture, used historically for both religious and civic functions in the town. Now maintained by a local community group, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

New Durham Meetinghouse and Pound Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The New Durham Meetinghouse and Pound are a historic colonial meeting house and town pound on Old Bay Road in New Durham, New Hampshire. Built in 1770, the wood-frame meeting house stands at what was, until about 1850, the center of New Durham, and was originally used for both civic and religious purposes. Now a public park, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Springfield Town Hall and Howard Memorial Methodist Church Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Springfield Town Hall and Howard Memorial Methodist Church, also known as the Springfield Union Meeting House, is a historic civic and religious building on Four Corners Road in Springfield, New Hampshire. Built about 1797 and restyled in 1851, it is a rare surviving example in the state of a meeting house whose functions include both civic and religious uses. It is also a good example of Greek Revival and Gothic architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Allenstown Meeting House Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Allenstown Meeting House is a historic meeting house on Deerfield Road in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Built in 1815, it is New Hampshire's only surviving Federal-style single-story meeting house to serve both religious and civic functions. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2004, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in July 2004. It is presently owned and maintained by the town.

Grasmere Schoolhouse No. 9 and Town Hall United States historic place

The Grasmere Schoolhouse No. 9 and Town Hall, also known as the Grasmere Grange Hall, is a historic municipal building located at 87 Center Street in the village of Grasmere in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Built in 1889 as a town hall and school, it has served a variety of civic and community functions since its construction, and is a good example of civic Queen Anne architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Bedford Town Hall United States historic place

The Bedford Town Hall is located at 70 Bedford Center Road in Bedford, New Hampshire. Built in 1910, it is a prominent early work of Chase R. Whitcher, a noted architect of northern New England in the early 20th century. The building is the third town hall to stand on this site, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Wakefield Town Hall and Opera House United States historic place

The Wakefield Town Hall and Opera House is a historic municipal building at 2 High Street in the Sanbornville village of Wakefield, New Hampshire. Built in 1895, it is a prominent local example of Romanesque architecture, and has housed civic and social activities since its construction. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Weare Town House United States historic place

The Weare Town House is a historic New England meeting house on New Hampshire Route 114 in Weare, New Hampshire. Built in 1837, it is a good example of a period town hall/church combination with Federal and Gothic Revival features. Although its religious use has ended, it continues to be used for town offices as well as civic and social functions. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Kensington Town House United States historic place

The Kensington Town House is the town hall of Kensington, New Hampshire. Located at 95 Amesbury Road, the single-story wood-frame building was erected in 1846, and has been its only purpose-built municipal hall. It is a good local example of civic Greek Revival architecture, and its hall has historically hosted town meetings and social functions. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

North Hampton Town Hall United States historic place

The North Hampton Town Hall is located at 231 Atlantic Avenue in North Hampton, New Hampshire. Built in 1844, it was the town's first purpose-built municipal building, and continues to be used as such. Its construction includes materials recovered from older dual-purpose religious and civic buildings, and its tower houses a Revere bell. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Stevens Memorial Hall United States historic place

Stevens Memorial Hall is the historic town hall of Chester, New Hampshire. The building, a large wood-frame structure completed in 1910, is located in the center of Chester at the junction of New Hampshire Routes 121 and 102. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It served as the center of the town's civic business until 2000, when town offices were relocated to a former school.

Washington Common Historic District Historic district in New Hampshire, United States

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+12-story two-room school built in 1883. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Rollinsford Town Hall United States historic place

Rollinsford Town Hall is located at 667 Main Street in Rollinsford, New Hampshire. The two-story wood-frame building was designed by New Hampshire architect Alvah T. Ramsdell, and built in 1893 to house a variety of municipal services, and an auditorium. The building, still housing municipal offices, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Alvah T. Ramsdell American architect

Alvah T. Ramsdell (1852–1928) was an American architect from Dover, New Hampshire. During his career he designed many substantial New Hampshire civic buildings.

J. Edward Richardson American architect

J. Edward Richardson was an American architect from Dover, New Hampshire.

Centennial Hall (North Hampton, New Hampshire) United States historic place

Centennial Hall is a historic community hall and schoolhouse at 105 Post Road in North Hampton, New Hampshire. Built in 1876, it is a distinctive local example of Stick Style architecture, and has served the town as a schoolhouse and community meeting place for most of its existence. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Armstrong Memorial Building United States historic place

The Armstrong Memorial Building is a historic municipal building at 3 North Lowell Road in Windham, New Hampshire. Built in 1899, it was the town's first purpose-built library building, a role it played until 1997. It now houses the town museum. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for New Durham Town Hall". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-08-15.