A Revolutionary War-era tavern in Raymond. A former abolitionist home in Milford. A town beach, park and canoe house on Lake Winnipesaukee.
The three sites are among the eclectic properties officially added Tuesday to the New Hampshire Register of Historic Places.
In Raymond, the Georgian-style Bean Tavern, built around 1752, was the site of the first election of officers to initiate local government in what was then the parish of “Freetown,” according to the state Division of Historical Resources. The tavern served more than ale: It was the town meetinghouse, even after a new building was constructed for that purpose.
The tavern may be familiar to residents of Raymond; it is on the official town seal.
The abolitionist home in Milford was built in 1777 by Revolutionary War veteran Joshua Burnham, himself one of the town’s founders. The Federal-style house was the Hutchinson Homestead from 1824 to 1949, and home to the Hutchinson Family Singers, a prominent voice for the abolition of slavery. The singers performed as far away as the Royal Court in England, and also promoted workers’ rights, women’s rights, and temperance, according to the state Division of Historical Resources.
Some of the country’s notable abolitionists traveled to Milford to meet with the Hutchinson family.
The state register also now recognizes the Center Harbor Town Beach, Park and Canoe House, which was originally part of the grounds of the Senter House Hotel and Colonial Hotel. The property heralds the area’s recreational history going back to the mid-1800s. The town acquired the site in 1964 and redeveloped it for public use.
The two other properties named to the list of historic places this week are:
- The Woodbury Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church in Antrim. It features shingle style architecture common in New England at the turn of the 20th century.
- The Charles and Mary Chapalis House in West Lebanon, a Colonial Revival-style cape built in 1928. The house contributes to the National Register of Historic Places-eligible Crafts Avenue Neighborhood District, which was started in 1892, and includes homes built in Queen Anne, Shingle, and Dutch Colonial styles, as bungalows, mid-century cottages, and ranch homes, according to the state.
The people behind the buildings’ applications say earning the designation isn’t just about preserving the past, but also strengthening the present and future of their communities.
Helene Newbold, who is the secretary of the Antrim Historical Society, said her group plans to renovate the church to serve as a museum and a community gathering space.
“That social piece of it that churches had, right now they don't have,” she said. “And so this is a way to open those doors for more social gatherings that may not be religious in nature, but again, it's a place where you can have communion with other people."
