New Hampshire

Always Ready Engine House // 1859

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Located in a triangular island at the corner of Main Street and Monument Square in the charming town of Hollis, NH, the Always Ready Engine House is a two-story clapboarded building with a lower level exposed on the east end due to the sloping site. The simple Greek Revival-style building is capped by a low-pitched gable roof and is outlined by simple pilaster cornerboards. The building was constructed in 1859 by the Town and furnished by the local fire company. Initially the building was kept for the exclusive use of the engine company but in 1862 the Soldiers’ Aid Society was granted permission to meet here. In 1877 the building was altered to accommodate the Town Hearse and in 1878 part of the basement was fitted as a local police lock-up and tramp shelter. The fire department finally vacated the structure in 1950 and the building served as the police station from 1971 to 1987. It was given to the Hollis Historical Society shortly after who hold documents, objects and photos which display the history of the town inside.

Wheeler House // 1914

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The Wheeler House is a 1-1/2-story, Craftsman bungalow home in Hollis, New Hampshire, with near full-length shed dormers at the front and rear sloping roofs. This home was preceded on the site by several earlier buildings including an ice house and a garage. The garage burned in 1912 during a fire which also destroyed the adjacent store. After the fire, a temporary store was erected by Will Gates in 1914, the temporary store was bought by Almond A. Wheeler who remodeled it into the present house for his family. Wheeler occupied the house until his death in 1936 and it was later occupied by his widow, Ruth Hills Wheeler. Mrs. Wheeler died in 1979 and according to the terms of her will, the house became the property of the Hollis Historical Society, which it remains to this day.

Conant House // c.1800

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This stunning Federal home in Hollis, NH was built around 1800 for Josiah Conant, likely as a wedding gift to his new wife, Lucy. Conant was a cabinetmaker by trade and his shop was located across the street, and according to local sources, he used his woodworking skills on the inside and out of his home, with intricate details including mantels, wainscoting and exterior cornice. Half of the second floor was originally a dance hall and was later used for a reading or writing school school run by Lucy. The brick-end Federal home features a Palladianesque entry with sidelights and an arched transom with historic windows!

Hollis Congregational Church // 1925

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The present Congregational Church in Hollis, NH is the fourth to be located on this site and was constructed in 1925, replacing an earlier 1804 building destroyed by fire in 1923.  The church is oriented with its porticoed facade facing Monument Square and perfectly blends in with the Colonial era homes and buildings around the green to retain the integrity of one of the best town centers in Southern NH. The present church building was designed by Boston architect Oscar Thayer.

Smith House // c.1847

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This home on Hollis’ town green was built around 1840, seemingly for a member of the Smith Family. The family was well-known in town as the patriarch, Rev. Eli Smith, took over as minister of the Congregational Church in town after the death of Reverend Emerson (last post). It appears that after Elias Smith’s death, the home was constructed by a member of the family who then used the land for agricultural purposes, adjacent to the former family home. The home does not face the Green or the street, but faces eastward, and features a symmetrical, five-bay facade with a modest Classically inspired door surround. The home retains its agricultural use today since the property was purchased by Robert and Martha Valicenti. The property is now known best as the Valicenti Pasta Farm, who make some of the best home-made pastas, stuffed ravioli and sauces. I even bought some for Christmas gifts. Shop Local!

Eli Smith House // 1794

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This house on a prominent lot opposite the Town Green in Hollis, NH, was constructed in 1794 for Reverend Eli Smith (1760-1847). In 1794, Rev. Smith married Ama Emerson, the daughter of Rev. Daniel Emerson, then the minister of the Congregational Church in Hollis. After Rev. Emerson’s death, Eli Smith took over the church and became the second minister of the town. Eli’s brother Andrew, a skilled carpenter, is said to have built the stunning Georgian house. After his death in 1847, the property was subdivided and another home was constructed, likely for a member of the family, while Joseph Emerson, one of Eli’s sons lived in the former family home. It remains one of the best-preserved late 18th century homes in the area.

Deacon Daniel Emerson House // 1768

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One of the oldest extant homes (and one of my favorites) in Hollis, NH is this charming gambrel-roofed Georgian built in 1768. The home was built for Deacon Daniel Emerson Jr., the son of Reverend Daniel Emerson, who was the first minister in Hollis (his home was the last post). Besides serving as the Deacon for the Congregational Church, Daniel Jr. (1746-1820) also was Coroner and High Sheriff of Hillsborough County. He was Captain of the Hollis Company that went to Ticonderoga in July 1776 returning a year later. The home retains the massive central chimney, a common feature in older homes, to radiate heat to the entire home from the central heat source.

Emerson House // 1744

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The oldest extant building in the village center of Hollis, New Hampshire is the Emerson House, which overlooks the town green. The home was constructed in 1744 for Reverend Daniel Emerson, the first settled minister in Hollis. The home stands on land that was part of the 40-acre ministerial parcel set aside when the town was planned that year. Over the next 21 years, Reverend Emerson and his wife had 13 children (seven sons and six daughters) which caused them to expand the home numerous times until his death in 1801. The home remained in the Emerson family for some years until it was sold at some point in the 20th century when the home was modified with the storefront windows. It now houses apartment units.

Cummings-Abbott House // c.1735

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Samuel Cummings (1709-1772) married Prudence Lawrence (1715-1796) and moved to Hollis, NH from Groton, MA. The couple had a home built in town and raised at least four children, Samuel Jr., Mary, Sibbel, and Prudence. The original house built by Cummings was a single-story, four room, center chimney type. After his death in 1772, the property passed to Cummings’ son, Samuel Cummings, Jr., an acknowledged Tory. Interestingly, Samuel’s sister Prudence was an ardent patriot, who moved to Pepperell, MA and married a militia man, David Wright. While the Revolutionary War was raging, Prudence visited her brother in the old family home, when she overheard her brother Samuel talk to his friend, a British army officer about passing information to the British. Prudence returned to Pepperell and gathered the women of the town. Then a 35-year-old mother of five, she organized 30 or 40 of them into a militia called ‘Mrs. David Wright’s Guard.’ The women dressed in their husbands’ clothes and carried whatever they could for weapons. As the men had probably taken muskets with them, the women probably used farm implements such as pitchforks. The women patrolled the roads leading into town. The group eventually captured two British soldiers on horseback and let them go only once they agreed to never come back to the colony. Due to this event, Prudence never spoke to her loyalist brother again.

In the 1850s, the house was owned by Superintendent of Schools, Levi Abbott and his wife, Matilda. It was the Abbotts who reportedly added a second story to the house with a hip roof, cornice and corner pilasters, giving it the appearance we see today.

Hollis Town Hall // 1886

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Constructed in 1886, the Hollis Town Hall in New Hampshire is a distinctive example of Queen Anne civic architecture showcasing an asymmetrical design and a variety of forms, textures and materials. The building was designed from plans by Manchester-based architect William Butterfield. As originally constructed the building was painted in dark tints to harmonize with the roof which was covered with shingles and painted dark red. In 1902, the clocks were added atop the tower with a clock designed by George M. Stevens of Boston. Sadly, the buildings’ original polychromatic paint scheme which highlighted the architectural details was updated with a solid white color.

Mary Keane Memorial Chapel // 1930

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Located in the Enfield Shaker Village in Enfield, New Hampshire, this stunning chapel building clearly depicts the significance of religion and faith in the Shaker Community. The church structure however, was built after the Shakers sold the property! In 1923, after 130 years of farming, manufacturing, and productive existence, declining membership forced the Shakers to close their community and put it up for sale. In 1927, the Shakers sold the site to the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, an order of Catholic priests, ensuring the continued tradition of spiritual, communal life on the site. The La Salettes also continued the very active agricultural use of the site as well as establishing a seminary and high school here.

The Mary Keane Chapel dates from the post-Shaker era at the Church Family site. Designed by Donat R. Baribault of Springfield, Massachusetts, the chapel was built for the Brothers of the La Salette Order with funds donated by their benefactress, Mary Keane. Ms. Keane, who had inherited a fortune from her uncle, pledged that fortune to assist the La Salette’s in the establishment of a French language seminary in Enfield. Her wealth helped purchase the former Shaker community, renovate the building for La Salette’s use, and build the Mary Keane Chapel.

The property was purchased again in 1985 and has operated as the Enfield Shaker Museum starting in 1986. The museum offers educational exhibits and programs designed to invite active participation in learning about the extraordinary people who once lived and worked here.

Stone Machine Shop // 1849

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Located across the street from the main collection of remaining Shaker buildings in the Enfield Shaker Museum campus, this historic stone structure stands as a lasting remnant of the workspaces built for the active Shaker community there. Once part of a larger group of structures that once stood here (the machine shop being the only extant), including a tannery, blacksmith shop, animal sheds, and broom shop, this stone structure shows the significance of rural industry in Enfield. This structure was built in 1849 and was water powered. Stone Machine Shop was powered by a nearby stream and mill pond. Water flowing through the stream would enter into the mill’s head race, move across several water wheels, and exit through the tail race before being dumped back into the stream

Enfield Meeting House // 1843

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The Enfield Center Meeting House was built in 1843 in the center of town. The meeting house’s location was soon after viewed as “out of the way” as both Enfield Village and Shaker Village began to develop, seeing massive population increases. The meetinghouse in the 20th century began to deteriorate slightly and by the early 21st century, its future was unclear. The town rallied to save the building, which included structural repairs. It was restored and placed on the National Register of Historic Places by 2017.

Copeland Block // 1897

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The Copeland Block is Enfield’s only brick commercial block. It is located on the bank of the river which cuts through the village and terminates at Mascoma Lake. Ira Copeland built the block for $10,000, during the final years of his life. He had lived in Enfield since 1853. He and his wife Elsina lived on her parent’s farm on Shaker Hill for many years. After her death in 1897, he abruptly moved to town, moved into a home on Depot Street, and built this commercial block with his lasting money. He died just years later. The Copeland Block contained a dmgstore, millinery shop and offices over its history, with an I.O.O.F. meeting space upstairs.

Whitney Hall // 1901

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The Enfield, New Hampshire Library and Memorial Building, also known as Whitney Hall, is a transitional Queen Anne/Shingle Style building built in 1900-1901. Local citizens donated funds for construction of the building to house the public library, as well as a selectmen’s office and rooms for fraternal organizations (notably the Grand Army of the Republic). The second floor, known as Whitney Hall, served as a public hall and theater. Mill operator George Whitney donated $1,000 for its construction and also built the village’s first electric plant, making Enfield one of the first towns in the state to have electricity for its homes and streetlights. During World War II, the top of the tower was enclosed to spot for enemy aircraft, remaining enclosed to this day. In 1976 the building underwent major renovation and now also contains the Enfield town offices.