The

Langdon Heritage Commission

Preserving and sharing our historic, natural and cultural assets;  enhancing community bonds in the process.

 

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Artwork by Peg Sutcliffe

                                              

 

 

Designated one of the 2008

Seven to Save

NHPA color logo-transparent background

 

Historic Langdon Town Hall Meetinghouse.

Home of the most consecutive town meetings

held in all of New Hampshire.

Built in 1801-03 when Thomas Jefferson was president. Langdon, New Hampshire has held two hundred and seven Town Meetings here.

 

Contact: Dennis McClary or Carole-Anne Centre  info@langdonheritage.org  .


 2011-2012 WINTER UPDATE

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Langdon Heritage Commission wishes you a happy and healthy new year. It has been a very good 2011 for the LHC and 2012 should be equally so.

State law RSA 674:44 states: “A heritage commission may be established in accordance with RSA 673 for the proper recognition, use, and protection of resources, tangible or intangible, primarily man-made, that are valued for their historic, cultural, aesthetic, or community significance within their natural, built, or cultural contexts.” At town meeting in 2008 the citizens of Langdon voted to establish such a commission. We have been busy ever since.

In 2011, with the help of our second LCHIP grant, we replaced the failed chimney in the Langdon Town Hall, the town’s original Meetinghouse. With this completed we look forward to replacing the noisy, inefficient, old furnace on the first floor with a new furnace in our new basement. We had planned to do this work in late 2011 but an opportunity to move forward on the long sought after bathroom presented itself. That opportunity is as follows.

We have learned that we are to receive our third consecutive LCHIP grant in the amount of $10,725 toward our bathroom project. We have also just received a “directed” gift of $4,000 to be used for the installation of a “proper bathroom”. With this momentum we decided to postpone the furnace project and combine all money to complete the bathroom. In addition to the aforementioned funds we have received a donation from the Marquis George McDonald Fund. Many other generous gifts from area citizens and businesses have put us over the approximately $28,000 needed for the bathroom. The bathroom project will include a 2000 gallon underground pump tank with a reinforced top so we can park on top of it. It will be located near the “salt shed” behind the Town Hall. Conversations with Cushing & Sons assure us that a well can be drilled and we have an estimate for that work. The well and tank will be state approved. A handicap accessible bathroom will be installed in the back half of the old police office at the front of the building. Excavation work has been offered free of charge by Landscapes by Jay Grant. All this fits in with the master plan for the rehabilitation of the Town Hall as described by Richard Monahon, Architect and which we have posted and explained to the public. We plan to complete this work in 2012.

Authorization to install a bathroom is found in a 1993 and a 1994 Warrant Article directing the Selectmen to install a sanitary facility. Recent conversations with the present Selectboard have encouraged us to follow through on this project. Additionally, state building code requires a bathroom for public meeting places.

On Sun. February 12, 2-4pm we will have an Informational Meeting in order that we update the community on all of our town hall rehabilitation plans.

The LHC does more than just work on your Town Hall. We host and organize community events. For example, on February 11 from 2:00 to 4:00 the old Meetinghouse will play host to humorist and storyteller Rebecca Rule.

We will have annual Restoration Run and Walk this spring, a popular event for all ages.

Our archival work is truly fascinating. Through the selfless work of volunteers we have received, documented and stored for future display many important photos, papers and historic artifacts from our town. We plan to eventually house and display most of this material in the rehabilitated Town Hall.

In support of our work local artist Caroline Porter Cross has donated for our raffle a beautiful painting of the Tuscan country side which she painted while in Italy some years ago.

Finally, we invite you to stay in touch with the LHC on a regular basis by becoming a Friend of Langdon Heritage. Learn more on our web site at www.langdonheritage.org .

Your support has made our work possible. We thank you.
Caroline Cross, Katie Gallagher, Andrea Cheeney, Carole-Anne Centre, Cliff Oster
Ron Batchelder, Gina Beach, Mike Kmiec, Fred McKee, Dennis McClary
 


Please join the us for a special event !

An afternoon with humorist Rebecca Rule to discuss her newly released book
"Moved and Seconded: New Hampshire Town Meeting,
the Present, the Past, and the Future"
February 11, 2:00 – 4:00
FREE EVENT
Location: Langdon Town Hall / Meetinghouse, 4 Walker Hill Rd., Langdon, NH

Potluck deserts:
Please bring a treat to share Coffee, Tea & Cider provided

Join us for a fun afternoon to hear Rebecca Rule discuss her newly released book "It's Moved and Seconded: New Hampshire Town Meeting, the Present, the Past, and the Future". The book includes, besides a chapter on Langdon Town meeting through the years, chapters on the origins of town meeting, its development over the years, the wisdom and humor of town meeting, the literature of town meeting, and SB2.

Langdon Heritage Commission members will host humorist and storyteller Rebecca Rule. All are invited to this pot luck dessert eating, beverage drinking, book signing, community event. This will probably be the very first presentation of the book! A true book launch!

Attendees will have an opportunity to win a 1 year membership toThe NH Historical Society

Raffle Tickets will also be available for Caroline Porter Cross’s beautiful original oil painting titled “Tuscany” that she has generously donated to the Langdon Heritage Commission to help in our fundraising efforts. The winner will be announced on Town Meeting day.
 


Please join the members of the
Langdon Heritage Commission for a special

Informational Meeting regarding
plans for the Historic Town Hall / Meetinghouse

Sunday, February 12, 2:00-4:00

Commission members will host an Informational Meeting to update the community on our town hall rehabilitation progress and plans. A slideshow on what we have accomplished, photo exhibit and a look to the future for Langdon’s Historic building.

We welcome you to become a “Friend of Langdon’s Heritage”. The commission is always in need of volunteers for various committees, including photo collecting, archival work, exhibits, community events, oral history taking and fund raising activities.

Hope you can join us at Langdon Town Hall / Meetinghouse, 4 Walker Hill Rd

 


An LHC member is cataloging items in our new archival storage area which is located at the Municipal Building. Town treasures continue to be found or donated to the LHC. Old photographs of people and places in Langdon are welcomed. We are able to scan photos into our archives while you wait. If you are interested please contact us. We also need volunteers to help us with preserving Langdon’s heritage.

All are welcome to join us every first Wednesday of the month, at 7:00 PM in the Municipal Building.

 


The Langdon Heritage Commission was formed in 2007 to properly recognize, use, preserve and protect our significant, historic, cultural, natural and aesthetic assets. In so doing we not only preserve our buildings and land, we build community connections, establish trust among diverse groups, encourage volunteerism, develop community leaders and enhance the livability of our community.

In March 2010, for the two hundred and eighth consecutive time
, citizens walked through the same Meetinghouse doors for another official Town Meeting. No other building in the State of New Hampshire has held as many consecutive New England style annual Town Meetings.

This historic structure needs extensive rehabilitation to remain a viable place for citizens to meet.

We ask for your support.

The Langdon Heritage Commission is charged with preserving, protecting and promoting Langdon’s historic, cultural and natural assets.

 

Copyright 2010 Langdon Heritage Commission

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