Historic Building

Whittier Lodge // c.1905

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Whittier Lodge is a historic lodging house built in the early 20th century at the time Tamworth, New Hampshire shifted from an industrial and agricultural economy more to a summer colony. Part of the structure is said to have been built from a village schoolhouse and moved to the present site where the remainder of what became Whittier Lodge was built. The Remick Family owned the building and the rooms inside were rented largely to mill workers who worked in nearby towns over the winter, and rented in summers to visitors to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. The lodge was purchased in the 1920s to Everett and Ethel Berry, who converted the boarding house into their home, but the building remained known for its hospitality. Ethel is said to have cooked nightly dinners in summers for the actors at the Barnstormers Theatre. Conrad Bain, later well-known for his role as Phillip Drummond, in the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, spent the summers of 1949 and ‘50 at The Barnstormers and he wrote glowingly of his time in Tamworth and at Whittier Lodge, writing, “…the generosity and culinary talent of Mrs. Berry, who served a delicious and nourishing dinner to all of us every evening on her spacious screened-in porch, for the extraordinary sum of $1.25 each”. The connection to the Barnstormers Theatre continues today as in 2007, the Theatre organization purchased the lodge for use as housing for its technical/stage crew from June through August; and it is rented from September to May as apartments.

Tamworth Town House // 1794

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The historic Town House in Tamworth, New Hampshire, was built in 1794 as the meeting house, serving as both the center of religious worship and local government for the community. The Tamworth Town House was built after the community voted to call its first minister in 1792, thirty-two-year-old Rev. Samuel Hidden, who was ordained on a large boulder (ever since known as Ordination Rock), as there was no public building to house the ceremony. Within a year, members of the community voted that the new meetinghouse should be two stories with a porch (stair-tower) on the front of the building, and it was to be built near Ordination Rock. The structure has an impressive hand-hewn timber frame, spacious interior with original gallery columns, and surviving pulpit window showcase the skilled workmanship of early builders. Following the passing of the Toleration Act of 1819 in New Hampshire effectively brought about the separation of church and state. It severed allowed citizens to stop supporting the established Congregational Church in all towns via taxation and instead now support the denomination of their choosing. From this, a new Congregational Church was built in the village and the old Town House was moved to the village and renovated to its present appearance in 1852 in the Greek Revival style. The renovation added updated Classical frieze and pilasters, a redesigned main entrance, and larger windows that complemented the new use as the Tamworth Town Hall.

Ordination Rock

Chocorua Community Church // 1835

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The First Free Will Baptist Church of Tamworth, New Hampshire, was founded in 1781 and centered around the charming mountain village of Chocorua. Members met for years in private homes, schoolhouses, and even barns until a lot was acquired in 1834 for the congregation and this church built a year later in 1835. The church was remodeled in 1885 to its current form, which likely saw the building raised and the steeple added. The church was renamed in 1921 to the Chocorua Baptist Church and again to the present name, Chocorua Community Church. The Chocorua Community Church is a typical 19th century vernacular New England church with a basic form, gable roofed main block, two-stage belfry tower topped by a spire. The composition of the facades with double doors and blind lancet window above is typical of the vernacular church architecture of the period, and while not architecturally distinctive, the church is significant as a community center of the Chocorua Village of Tamworth.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Parish House, Ashland // 1899

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Adjacent to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Ashland, New Hampshire, the congregation’s Parish House stands as a complimentary extension to the Victorian Gothic church next door. Built in 1899 as a vestry for the church, the Parish House perfectly blends both the Victorian Gothic and Shingle styles of architecture into a single composition with lancet windows and steep gable roof and continuous shingle siding and rubblestone foundation. While the architect is not known, the Parish House stands as one of the finest examples of a building of its type in New England and is clearly the work of a skilled architect.

Ashland Town Hall // 1871

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Ashland Town Hall in Ashland, New Hampshire, was built in 1871, three years after the town separated from Holderness, due to its growing economy as an industrial village compared to its mother-town’s more agricultural character. Constructed of brick, the facade is dominated by its gable roof which reads as a pediment and bays divided by brick pilasters which harkens back to the Greek Revival style; while the use of arched brick mouldings which is a common element in the Italianate style. The handsome, well-proportioned structure was used for town meetings and elections until 1950, and in 1952, the building was used by the school district as the village school. The building returned to municipal functions in 1972 and has since housed the Ashland Town Offices. The Old Ashland Town Hall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Union Hall, North Billerica // 1892-1966

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Union Hall in North Billerica, Massachusetts, was originally built around 1871 as a social meeting place and informal “town hall” for area residents. The building served many uses from a district schoolhouse to hosting elections and governmental events for the industrial village until a fire destroyed the building in 1891. The iconic centerpiece for the community was quickly rebuilt a year later from plans by Frederick W. Stickney, and also included space for the local fire department. The use as a school ceased but the first floor remained occupied as the village fire station until 1965, when a contemporary station was built nearby. Soon after, the 1892 structure was demolished and the site is used as surface parking for the North Billerica train station.

Talbot Mills // 1857

Buildings of New England1 Comment

The Talbot Mills in North Billerica were built in 1857 by Charles and Thomas Talbot, who produced flannels, woolen goods, and later military and later, military drab. The brothers had connections in Lowell and eventually built a new manufacturing company in Billerica on the banks of the Concord River. Charles Talbot oversaw much of the day-to-day business, while Thomas Talbot began to pursue politics, serving first as state senator, lieutenant governor, and eventually Governor of Massachusetts in 1878. When built, the Talbot Mills were originally powered solely by water, but as the company’s manufacturing facilities doubled in 1880, a boiler-engine house was built. During the 1920s, at its peak, the mill employed 450 workers, many of whom lived in worker’s housing developed and rented by the corporation. During the 1960s, the company suspended operations and the building had been rented out to tenants ever since, now occupied by Pace Industries. The main (and earliest) building of the Talbot Mill complex was built in 1857 and rises five stories with a prominent entry tower with a balustrade, octagonal open arcaded belfry call capped by a weathervane. The wooden tower is a rare survivor and hopefully will remain another 150 years.

Suffield Academy – Memorial Building // 1854 & 1950

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Initially established in 1833 as the Connecticut Literary Institute and later renamed Suffield Academy in 1937, the institution was founded with the mission to educate young men for the Baptist ministry. As the Connecticut Literary Institute was the only high school in Suffield, the town tax dollars paid for local students to attend. Originally built for the Institute in 1854, this large brick academic building was designed in the Italianate style with brackets and decorative brickwork at the cornice until about a century later when the school redesigned its campus in the Colonial Revival style. The Memorial Building was stripped down of pomp and renovated into its present appearance, but it maintains its historic form and fenestration.

Williston Saddle Shop // 1776

Buildings of New England1 Comment

Before the invention of the automobile, horseback was the most effective way to get around. In nearly every town in New England, a saddler would make harnesses, straps, and saddles from leather in small, vernacular shops like this structure in Suffield, Connecticut. The Williston Saddle Shop is said to have been built in 1776 by Consider Williston (1739-1794), who served as a Lieutenant in the American Revolution, and is sited on the town’s iconic Main Street, which is lined by stately homes, churches, and institutional buildings of all eras. The vernacular Williston Saddle Shop retains its unique character, even since it was converted to a private residence.

Bryon Loomis House // c.1855

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

This Italianate mansion on Main Street in Suffield, Connecticut, was built around 1855 for Byron Loomis (1831-1896), near the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Cowles in 1854. The house was possibly as a gift from his father Neland, one of the many successful tobacco barons that harvested tobacco, and packaged and shipped the product to markets all over the east coast. The Byron Loomis House is a large Italianate mansion with a boxy form with walls covered in flushboard siding. The low sloped roof with broad overhanging eaves is supported by large brackets and is topped with a large square belvedere.

West Suffield Congregational Church // 1839

Buildings of New England1 Comment

Nestled in the heart of West Suffield, Connecticut, the West Suffield Congregational Church remains as a unique example of the typical village church form from the first half of the 19th century. The church was established in 1743, when after decades of having to travel to the center of Suffield to worship, families in the western part of town established the Second Ecclesiastical Society. Within a year, a meeting house in West Suffield was built as a rustic structure. As the congregation thrived, a second meeting house was built in 1775 on the site of the present building, which too was rebuilt, this structure, in 1839 using the earlier foundation. The present church was dedicated in 1840 and it stands as a stunning example of a Greek Revival house of worship, with projecting portico supported by fluted Doric columns, paneled parapet, and multi-stage tower.

Mapleton Hall // 1883

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Located on Mapleton Avenue in the historic farming community of Suffield, Connecticut, Mapleton Hall stands as a remarkable testament to the town’s agricultural heritage and success. Originally constructed in 1883 as Central Hall, the building served as a gathering place for farmers’ meetings, civic events, and later the local Grange, reflecting the importance of agriculture in Suffield’s development. As its popularity grew, rear wings were built in 1896, expanding the hall to accommodate larger crowds drawn by community events and meetings. Architecturally, Mapleton Hall is a distinctive example of late Victorian-era rural meeting hall, featuring elements of the Queen Anne Stick/Eastlake styles, along with decorative woodwork, a prominent bell tower, and trussed gable that have been carefully preserved through decades of restoration. The building was sold in 1999 to the Suffield Players, a local theater group, who have preserved the building, using it for their theatrical productions.

Forest Hills Cemetery – Crematorium & Columbarium // 1893

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Separate from the main cemetery parcel, the Forest Hills Cemetery Crematory and Columbarium is architecturally significant and also historically significant as the the first crematory in New England. The cremation building was constructed in 1893 by the Massachusetts Cremation Society, an organization unaffiliated with the cemetery across the street. The original crematory building was designed by Ludvig Sandöe Ipsen, a Danish-American artist and designer who is best-known for his book illustrations. It is unclear why Ipsen, who had almost entirely given up architecture as a profession, was selected by the Massachusetts Cremation Society, but he showcased his design expertise for this handsome masonry building. The original crematory included a chapel, operating plant, guest area, and offices. Classical Revival in style, the building is constructed of granite with limestone trim and capped by a red slate roof. The first cremation in New England occurred here in 1894, when Lucy Stone, the important abolitionist and suffragist, passed away and was cremated here. The chapel inside the building was named after Lucy Stone. In 1905, the columbarium was added from plans by Ipsen, where cremated remains of the dead are stored and displayed in urns. In 1925, the property was sold to the Forest Hills Cemetery association and the building expanded to its current size.

Forest Hills Cemetery – Receiving Tomb // 1871

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Gothic Revival receiving tomb at Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston is located not far from the iconic entrance gate and chapel/offices. The structure was built in 1871 and designed by architects, Carl Fehmer and William R. Emerson in the Gothic style, a prevalent aesthetic that the overseers encouraged for the various 19th century buildings constructed on the grounds. Historically, the Gothic Revival structure served as the entrance to underground holding tombs for the temporary storage of bodies awaiting burial or relocation, typically stored when the ground was too frozen for burial. The structure features a granite structure with oak ceiling and painted tile flooring. A massive project began in 2016 to excavate and build a new Garden Mausoleum, built into the landscape with the restored Receiving Tomb serving as the focal point. The tomb portico was adapted as a gateway to an open-air courtyard flanked by walls set into the slope which contain internment chambers for burials, with a restored fountain in front and woman archer statue atop.

Forest Hills Cemetery – Bell Tower // 1876

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Built atop Snowflake Hill just inside the entrance of the Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, the cemetery’s bell tower stands as an architectural landmark in the iconic historic landscape. Completed in 1876, the octagonal, Victorian Gothic Revival style tower stands 100 feet tall and is built atop an outcropping of Roxbury puddingstone. The structure is also built of local Roxbury puddingstone blocks and trimmed with granite. The roof is clad with granite tiles and topped with an ornate copper weathervane. Originally, a swinging bell was rung in the tower, but it was replaced by an electronic carillon. The architect is not known for the handsome structure, but the contractors were the Concord and Roxbury Granite Railway Company, and the builders were Jacobs & Kelly of Boston.