Wilton Town Hall

Last updated
Wilton Town Hall
Wiltontownhall.jpg
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location42 Main St., Wilton, New Hampshire
Coordinates 42°50′40″N71°44′18″W / 42.84444°N 71.73833°W / 42.84444; -71.73833 Coordinates: 42°50′40″N71°44′18″W / 42.84444°N 71.73833°W / 42.84444; -71.73833
Arealess than one acre
Built1884 (1884)
Architect Merrill & Cutler
Architectural styleQueen Anne
NRHP reference No. 09000254 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 20, 2009

Wilton Town Hall is located at 42 Main Street in downtown Wilton, New Hampshire. Built in 1886, the red brick building is a prominent local example of civic Queen Anne style architecture. In a common style of the day, it includes a theater space which was used for dramatic presentations, silent films, and vaudeville productions, before being converted to its present use as a movie theater. [2] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. [1]

Contents

Description and history

Wilton Town Hall occupies a prominent setting in the center of the town, on the east side of Main Street. It occupies a steeply sloping triangular lot bounded on the north by Maple Street. Its basement side is completely exposed on the Main Street side, and is composed of rustically cut Milford granite. The rest of the building is built out of load-bearing red brick, and is covered by a slate roof with a complex roofline. Windows in the upper levels are generally set in rounded-arch openings, and the roof is punctuated by several brick chimneys and a square clock tower. The clock is original to the building, made by George Milton Stevens of Boston, Massachusetts. The interior of the building is divided into civic offices and a theater. Its finishes are largely original, including fine woodwork on the main staircases, floors, and wainscoting. [3]

The town hall was completed in 1886, and has housed town offices since then. It was the first building in the town dedicated to housing all of the town functions, including town clerk, police, and selectmen's offices. It was built in the aftermath of fires in 1874 and 1881 that destroyed much of what is now downtown Wilton. Its construction further cemented the importance of Wilton's East Village as the town's main village center. The hall was designed by Merrill & Cutler of Lowell, Massachusetts, and its design was featured in an architectural publication in 1884. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Putnam Town Hall United States historic place

Putnam Town Hall, formerly Putnam High School, is an historic civic building at 126 Church Street in Putnam, Connecticut. Constructed in 1874, it is one of the oldest surviving high school buildings in the state, and a distinctive local example of Gothic Revival architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

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.

Newport Opera House United States historic place

The Newport Opera House is a historic civic building and performing arts venue at 20 Main Street in the heart of downtown Newport, the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1886, it was billed as having the largest stage in New England north of Boston, and continues to serve as a performance venue today. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as "Town Hall and Courthouse", in 1980, for its architecture and civic roles, and is a contributing property in the Newport Downtown Historic District.

Peterborough Town House United States historic place

The Peterborough Town House is the town hall serving Peterborough, New Hampshire. Located at Grove and Main Streets in downtown, the 1918 building is a significant local example of Colonial Revival architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Grace United Methodist Church (Keene, New Hampshire) Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

Grace United Methodist Church is a historic Methodist Church building at 34 Court Street in Keene, New Hampshire. Built in 1869, it was designed by architect Shepard S. Woodcock, and is one of the largest churches in southwestern New Hampshire. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Its congregation moved in 2009 and was disbanded in 2016, and the building is undergoing renovation for use as professional offices.

South Congregational Church (Newport, New Hampshire) Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

South Congregational Church is a historic church building at 58 S. Main Street in Newport, New Hampshire. The two-story brick church was built in 1823 by the carpenter John Leach for a congregation established in 1779, and is the most northerly of a series of rural churches based on a design used by Elias Carter in the design of the Congregational church in Templeton, Massachusetts. The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

Norwich City Hall (Connecticut) United States historic place

Norwich City Hall is the seat of municipal government in Norwich, Connecticut. It is located at Union Street and Broadway, prominently overlooking the city's central business district. Built in 1870-73, when Norwich was still a town, it has served as the seat of municipal government since then. Architecturally it is a prominent statewide example of civic Second Empire architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for its architecture and history.

Thomaston Opera House United States historic place

The Thomaston Opera House is a historic performance venue and the town hall of Thomaston, Connecticut. Located at 153 Main Street, it was built in 1883-85, and is a good local example of Romanesque architecture. The theater in the building has served as a performance and film venue since its construction. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The opera house's principal tenant is now the Landmark Community Theatre.

Conant Public Library United States historic place

The Conant Public Library is the public library of Winchester, New Hampshire. It is located at 111 Main Street, in a fine Victorian Romanesque Revival building erected in 1891, funded by a bequest from Winchester resident Ezra Conant. The building's design, by Springfield, Massachusetts architect, J. M. Currier, is based on his design of the 1886 library building in Brattleboro, Vermont, and is one of the most architecturally distinguished buildings in Cheshire County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Winchester Memorial Church United States historic place

The Winchester Memorial Church, also known as the New Hampshire Conservatory of Music and the Arts, is a historic civic building in the center of Winchester, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1912, it is a prominent local example of Colonial Revival architecture. It replaced a meeting house that was the location of the Winchester Profession, a key development in the history of Unitarian Universalism. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It was acquired in 2006 by the Universalist Heritage Foundation as a memorial to the site's role in Universalist history.

City Hall (Manchester, New Hampshire) United States historic place

The City Hall of Manchester, New Hampshire, is located at 908 Elm Street, the city's principal commercial thoroughfare. The brick-and-granite three-story structure was built in 1844-45 to a design by Boston architect Edward Shaw, and is a prominent early example of the Gothic Revival style in a civic building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Milford Town House and Library Annex United States historic place

The Milford Town House and Library Annex, now just the Milford Town Hall, is a historic municipal building occupying a prominent position facing the central oval in Milford, New Hampshire. Built in 1869-70 and enlarged in 1891, it is the only known surviving work of architect Gridley J. F. Bryant, and is a significant local example of Italianate and Second Empire architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

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.

Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library United States historic place

The Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library is the public library of Wilton, New Hampshire. It is located in a Classical Revival brick building on Forest Street, near the north end of Wilton's downtown area. The building was designed by the Boston, Massachusetts, firm of McLean & Wright, and built 1905-07. It was a gift of David Almus Gregg, a local manufacturer of building parts; Gregg further gave the library an endowment in 1912. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Adams Memorial Building United States historic place

The Adams Memorial Building, now also known as the Derry Opera House, is a historic municipal building at 29 West Broadway near the center of Derry, New Hampshire. Built in 1904, it is a remarkably sophisticated Colonial Revival structure for what was at the time a small community. The building originally housed a variety of municipal offices and the local library. Local events are occasionally held in the theater of the building, located on the upper level. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The theater is now operated by a local nonprofit arts organization, the Greater Derry Arts Council.

Dudley House (Exeter, New Hampshire) Historic house in New Hampshire, United States

The Dudley House, also known as the Perry-Dudley House, is a historic house at 14 Front Street in Exeter, New Hampshire. Built about 1805, it is a prominent local example of Federal architecture, further notable for its occupation by two of the town's leading 19th-century doctors. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It now houses professional offices.

Franklin Block (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) United States historic place

The Franklin Block is a historic commercial building at 75 Congress Street in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Built in 1879, this three-story brick building is the largest Victorian-era building standing in the city. It occupies the city block between Fleet Street and Vaughan Mall, a former street that is now a pedestrian mall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Newport Downtown Historic District (New Hampshire) Historic district in New Hampshire, United States

The Newport Downtown Historic District encompasses the 19th century heart of Newport, New Hampshire, the county seat of Sullivan County. The district includes the major commercial and civic buildings which line Main Street between Depot Street and the Sugar River. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

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.

First Congregational Church (Farmington, New Hampshire) Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The First Congregational Church is a historic church at 400 Main Street in Farmington, New Hampshire. Built in 1875 for a congregation founded in 1819, it is the oldest church building in the town, and a distinctive example of Gothic Revival architecture designed by New Hampshire native Frederick N. Footman. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2017. The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Wilton Town Hall Theatre History". Wilton Town Hall Theatre. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  3. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Wilton Town Hall". National Archive. Retrieved 2018-06-19.