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News
5K Restoration Run & Fun Walk to benefit Langdon Heritage Commission
Saturday May 16th 2015 Run Starts at 9 AM Registration 8:30 AM Langdon Town Hall
/ Meetinghouse 5 Walker Hill Rd Langdon NH Race starts and ends at the Town
Hall Cost is $15 per person, max of $25 per family. Gift for first 25
runners/walkers who register Leashed dogs and strollers welcome.
For more information contact: Kate Gallagher at 603 209 1774
Flyer Here.
December 6, 2014
The
New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) has
granted the Town Of Langdon, through its Heritage Commission, $53,324 for
rehabilitation work on its original 1803 Meetinghouse.
LCHIP is an independent state
authority that makes matching grants to NH communities and non-profits to
conserve and preserve New Hampshire's most important natural, cultural and
historic resources. Through this investment Program every $1 in resources
brings back more than seven times local, private, federal funds, and helps
to secure NH's greatest business advantage: The quality of life and
traditional values of our state.
To see the complete press release,
click here:
5th Annual 5K Restoration Run
& Fun Walk
to benefit Langdon Heritage Commission
Saturday May 17th 2014
All photos by John Gulardo
Click any photo to view full size.
Women's winner and new course record Heidi Westover of Walpole time 23:05
Men's winner Jerry McDougle of Walpole time 27:20
Youth Winner from Westmoreland time 32:10
Heritage Commission 2013 Annual Report
It has been another active year at the LHC. We have enjoyed the support and
participation of many wonderful people. As an example, Rodney Campbell
renovated the historically significant wooden benches you see along the walls of the meetinghouse. Before his work, these benches were tied and wired to keep them
together. They are now solid and secure and he has offered to make replicas as
needed.
Royal and Dianne Holmes recently donated a treasure trove of slide photos and
play scripts from the Langdon Players. This material has been cataloged and
safely stored in the Heritage Commission Archives.
Dorothy Campbell also donated for safe keeping a generous box of historic
Langdon memorabilia also including Langdon Players and Minstrel Show playbooks
which will also be safely stored. Sometime in the future we plan to display this
material for the whole town to enjoy.
Considerable work has been done by LHC members to catalog and protect important
town artifacts. An example of this work can be seen in the Britton-Porter
American Legion Post 57, WW1 Honor Roll. The Parish House was the meeting place
for the American Legion and the Honor Roll hung there for many years. The
building is not used anymore and the Honor Roll was removed for safe keeping.
The Heritage Commission asked permission from the Legion to preserve this hand
painted piece of Langdon history. It was brought to a professional
preservationist who removed mold and some stains from the paper and stabilized
it from further deterioration. It was properly matted and framed under
ultraviolet protective glass. An unveiling of this important piece took place
September 22 at the Meetinghouse.
In early January 2014 we received a $5000 grant from the Monadnock Region
Community Fund through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. This money along
with other funds will pay for the services of an architect. The architect will
help us plan and present to the town ideas on how best to approach additional
projects on the first floor. For example, Fire Code requirements must be
accommodated. The building must meet ADA requirements and increase seating
capacity must be addressed. Care must be taken to make sure that long range
plans for the second floor are in keeping with its historical importance and its
integrity is maintained while making it safe for the townspeople to use
The Selectboard budgeted and completed the much needed painting of the building
exterior this past summer. In addition, the windows were glazed and washed. The
Langdon sign was restored and some clapboards were replaced. Thank you to the
townspeople who supported the Selectboard’s warrant article that made this
possible.
The Selectboard has also made plans to replace the aged first floor furnace and
replace it with a new unit to be located in the new basement of the
Meetinghouse.
Another special, community entertainment event has been planned for the
afternoon of March 9th from 2:00 to 4:00. Edie Clark, who comes to us through
the NH Humanities Council, will be giving a talk on regional foods — “Baked
Beans and Fried Clams: How Food Defines a Region. This free event was made
possible through the NH Humanities to Go Program and a donation from a local
couple.
On May 18 we hosted a fund raising 5K run/walk. It was a special race this year,
won by Langdon residents on both the men's and women's side. Griffin Dussault
tied for first in the men's division and Jess O’Connor won the women's division.
Last November, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance board of directors took a
tour of the Meetinghouse. This is the organization that awards the prestigious
“Seven to Save” designation of which the Meetinghouse is a recipient. They were
impressed with the Town’s progress since the award was granted in 2008.
The Meetinghouse is available for your use. The town’s Administrative Assistant
has all the information needed to request the use of the building for your
function. The building has been used for meetings, talks, community and family
events including birthday parties with music, dancing and catered food. It has
also been used for the Sarah Porter Christmas pageant and other school events.
In 2007 the citizens of Langdon established the Heritage Commission according to
“RSA 674:44 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.” We count it a privilege to join in this work. We meet on the
first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 in the Meetinghouse. All are welcome to
attend.
Your tax deductible donation under IRS Code 170 C (1) can be sent to the Langdon
Heritage Commission, 122 NH Rte 12A, Unit 4, Langdon, NH 03602 or you can visit
www.langdonheritage.org and donate on-line. Checks can be made to “Langdon
Heritage Commission”.
Respectfully submitted,
Dennis McClary, Chair Carole-Anne Centre, Secretary Bud Ross, Ex officio
Kathryn Gallagher, Treasurer Andrea Cheeney Caroline Cross
Cliff Oster John and Rita Gulardo Mike Sweeney Lorraine Chaffee
IMMEDIATE RELEASE JAN. 13, 2014
Contact: Dennis McClary , chairman of Langdon Heritage Commission
(603) -209-1788
Langdon Heritage Commission has been awarded a grant
by New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Monadnock Regional Community Fund
The Monadnock Regional Community Fund, through the NH Charitable Foundation, has
awarded a $5,000 grant to the Langdon Heritage Commission for architectural
plans for the further renovation of the historic Langdon Meetinghouse.
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation manages a growing collection of
charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. It awards $30
million annually in grants and scholarships. Based in Concord, the foundation
roots itself in the communities through regional advisory boards, serving
communities throughout New Hampshire, southeastern Maine and eastern Vermont.
More information is available at www.nhcf.org or by calling 603-224-6641.
The Langdon Meetinghouse was listed as one of New Hampshire Preservation
Alliance's "Seven to Save" structures in 2008. This designation recognizes
historic sites and buildings that are important to the landscape and heritage of
New Hampshire. This historic building was also recently added to the New
Hampshire Registry of Historic Places and is home of the most consecutive town
meetings held in all of New Hampshire
The Langdon Heritage Commission is charged with preserving, protecting and
promoting Langdon’s historic, cultural and natural assets. The Commission can be
reached by emailing to: info@langdonheritage.org. More information is available
at www.langdonheritage.org .
An LHC archival team 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 at the Langdon Town Hall.
Six properties added to N.H. State Register of
Historic Places
The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources is pleased to announce that
the State Historical Resources Council has added six properties to the New
Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.
The State Register has helped to promote the significance of many historic
properties across New Hampshire. Benefits of being listed on the State Register
include:
Special consideration and relief from some building codes and regulations;
Designation of a property as historical, which is a pre-qualification for many
grant programs, including Conservation License Plate grants and New Hampshire
Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) grants; and
Acknowledgment of a property’s historical significance in the community.
The most recent additions to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places
are:
Built in 1901 to house the town’s large road-grading equipment, Freedom’s Roller
Shed is an unusual and practical building. The equipment made travel in all
seasons more possible for citizens – a boon in the early days of the twentieth
century – and the shed provided year-round protection of this important
investment. Part of a historic core of town buildings in Freedom village, the
shed still serves as storage for the town.
The Langdon Town Hall and Meeting House was first used for town meeting in 1803
and has hosted all 210 town meetings since then. It took the town of Langdon 21
17 years – from its incorporation in 1787 until 1808 1803– to site and complete
the building, which has also served as church and meeting house for civic
affairs.
The Jackson Road Railroad Trestle in Mason was part of the Peterborough and
Shirley Railroad line, which contributed to the town’s prosperity in the
mid-nineteenth century by opening new markets for agricultural products, denim
and granite produced in town. The trestle is the only grade-separated crossing
in Mason and was built to be tall enough to allow hay wagons to pass on the road
underneath. It is now part of the town’s rail trail.
Three buildings have also been added to the Enfield Village Historic District,
which was recognized by the State Register in April 2011: Woodbury House, J.P.
Washburn House and the North Enfield Universalist Meeting House, all on Main
Street.
Anyone wishing to nominate a property to the New Hampshire State Register of
Historic Places must research the history of the nominated property and document
it fully on individual inventory forms from the New Hampshire Division of
Historical Resources. Having a property listed in the Register does not impose
restrictions on private property owners. For more information, visit www.nh.gov/nhdhr.
New Hampshire's Division of Historical Resources, the “State Historic
Preservation Office,” was established in 1974. The historical, archeological,
architectural, engineering and cultural resources of New Hampshire are among the
most important environmental assets of the state. Historic preservation promotes
the use, understanding and conservation of such resources for the education,
inspiration, pleasure and enrichment of New Hampshire’s citizens.
Langdon Heritage Commission 2012 Annual Town Report
Welcome to the 210th Town Meeting held in this building, a state record and
perhaps a national record.
In 2007 the citizens of Langdon established the Heritage Commission according to
“RSA 674:44 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.”
This year Andrea Cheeney of our Commission got the meetinghouse listed on the
New Hampshire Registry of Historic Places. This important recognition will give
us special consideration by grantors and relief on some state codes that would
adversely affect the historic features of the building if strictly applied. We
are grateful to Andrea for her hard work and to Helen Koss who years before
gathered documentation on the building. A celebration of this recognition was
held on September 7 and was attended by many of you as well as our State Senator
Bob Odell, State Representative Steve Smith and a representative from
Congressman Bass’s office. Senator Odell read a congratulatory letter sent from
U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte.
In 2012 we installed in the Town Hall a bathroom, a well and a full septic
system including a septic field not a pump tank which we, at this time last
year, assumed would be the case. We have also installed an alarm system that
will notify authorities of smoke, low temperature in the basement or water on
the floor from a broken pipe. The system can be expanded to include intrusion
alarms. No Town money was used to complete this project. LCHIP granted the
Heritage Commission $10,725. Two anonymous Langdon citizens contributed $4000
each. A third anonymous donor contributed $1000 toward the alarm system, more
than half its cost. Thousands of dollars of digging, dirt removal and
preparatory work were donated by Landscapes by Jay Grant. Griffin Dussault,
owner of Griffin Construction, donated many hours of work towards the project.
The balance needed for the project was provided by many generous townspeople
through donations, raffles, and sales. It would not have been possible to do
these renovations without the scores of Langdonians who have supported this
work. We also thank those who have supported all of our efforts by becoming a
member of the "Friends of Langdon Heritage".
Comments received during recent events at the town hall were very positive but
perhaps the most gratifying was, “It looks like it has been there all along.”
The building is now better able play host to its citizens.
Our next renovation project is the removal of the old furnace on the first floor
and installation of a new furnace in the basement. We are raising funds for this
now. Your tax deductible donation under IRS Code 170 C (1) can be sent to the
Langdon Heritage Commission, 122 NH Rte 12A, Unit 4, Langdon, NH 03602 or you
can visit www.langdonheritage.org and donate on-line. Checks can be made to
“Langdon Heritage Commission”.
The Town Hall is available for your use. The town’s Administrative Assistant has
all the information needed to request the use the building for your function.
This past year the building has been used for meetings, talks, community and
family events including birthday parties with music, dancing and catered food.
It has also been used for the Sarah Porter Christmas pageant and other school
events.
On November 17 the Heritage Commission hosted and a generous Landon resident
sponsored, the appearance of humorist Fred Marple, resident of the fictitious
town of Frost Heaves. It was a well attended function complete with hot coffee,
cider and many desserts.
On February 11 we hosted another appearance of Rebecca Rule, NH author and
humorist. She honored us by including Langdon in her new book. This was the
first “book party” for her new work Moved and Seconded.
Of course the old Meetinghouse was the center of attention during the town’s
Fall Festival. There was the gratifying spectacle of appreciative women waiting
in line to see the new bathroom.
Our archival work will now be enhanced through our newly established
relationship with the Keene State College History Department. Working with the
professors and student interns we will soon take on the task of cataloging,
storing and hopefully displaying historic artifacts. Take a look into the "old
police office" in the Town Hall. It has been set up as an historic exhibit room.
The interns will also energize our earlier work in oral history taking.
We are very grateful for the support of the people of Langdon and their elected
officials. We look forward to many years of steady progress and the sense of
community all this working together is creating.
Dennis McClary, Chairman Carole-Anne Centre, Secretary Kathryn Gallagher, Treas.
Ron Batchelder ex officio, Andrea Cheeney, Caroline Cross, Cliff Oster, Mike
Sweeney, John Gulardo, Rita Gulardo, George “Bud” Ross, Nate Chaffee, Michael
Kmiec
Dear Friends and Supporters,
SUMMER 2011 MEETINGHOUSE UPDATE
The New Chimney
This past May we completed a relatively small but essential project at the
Langdon Meetinghouse. The chimney which was in great need of repair was torn
down and replaced. The bricks were in such poor shape as to be unusable. The
chimney serves the oil fired, hot air furnace on the first floor. It was
replaced in preparation for the installation of a brand new furnace which will
be located in the new basement.
The chimney was built in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s
Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures. Funds for the chimney
came from many local individuals and businesses as well as from another matching
grant from LCHIP in the amount of $7,987. The Langdon Heritage Commission is
very grateful for the continued support of our community and LCHIP.
The chimney project was put out to bid in April and All Season’s Construction
was the low bidder. They did a great job. During construction it was necessary
to temporarily remove a pew on the second floor. When they returned this
built-in pew to its former position you could not tell it had been moved. Trim
work, finish coat plaster and even the paint are good matches to the original.
Of course a bit of stenciling at the ceiling level will have to be duplicated.
We have at least two artists we believe can do the job.
The chimney above roof line is a bit taller than it used to be in order that it
meets building code for proper height relative to the ridge line. The brick
type, color and mortar match that which was there before. We have also added a
masonry cap to the chimney. It is of a style common to the period. This will
keep out most of the rain and snow which would otherwise freeze and thaw and
eventually bust up the tile liner, bricks and block.
Richard Monahon Architects of Peterborough were a big help in developing the bid
specifications, coordinating the bidding process, writing up the construction
contract, supervising construction and making sure that all was done in
compliance with standards for historic rehabilitation.
Our next task is to install the new furnace. The good news here is that we have
raised sufficient funds to complete the installation before fall this year.
Rodney Campbell, Builder, of Langdon is volunteering his time to coordinate this
project. Look here for information on our progress.
"SPRING 2011 MEETINGHOUSE UPDATE"
Dear Friends and Supporters,
.Overhead electrical lines from the "Salt Shed" to the Town Hall were buried
The rehabilitation of the Langdon Town Hall/Meetinghouse foundation was
completed in the first week of October 2010. Below is a photo of the finished
project with its street level appearance essentially unchanged. Through the
guidance and financial support of New Hampshire's Land and Community Heritage
Investment Program, LCHIP, all work was done in compliance with the Secretary of
the Interiors Guidelines for the rehabilitation of historic buildings.
This building, originally known as the Meetinghouse, is the central feature of
our village and is our traditional gathering place. Along with the generosity of
many friends we have rehabilitated its 209 year old foundation. The town voted
to contribute funds and many individuals donated money, sponsored the
Foot-by-foot fundraiser or volunteered time. The New Hampshire Preservation
Alliance designated the Meetinghouse a "Seven to Save" historic treasure. LCHIP,
the Terra Nova Foundation, the Marquis George MacDonald Foundation, the New
Hampshire Electric Co-op, the Moose Plate program provided grants. Brendon's
Concrete provided discounts All Seasons Construction, general contractors,
worked with our volunteers and with Richard Monahon, Architects, whose guidance
was invaluable. Cold River Materials donated gravel and Woodell & Daughters
Forest Products donated materials. Rodney Campbell, was indispensable, donating
many hours of time and technical assistance as Clerk-of-the-Works. John Gulardo
, documented the project through his photography. Lavalley Building Supply and
St Pierre, Inc. discounted or donated materials. Landscapes by Jay Grant donated
over $30,000 of equipment operating time and countless hours of volunteered
personal time and labor. Dave Barton matched Jay hour for hour. We thank all.
The foundation project accomplished the following:
.Installed a new concrete foundation with brick sill for original stone
.Storm drain under Walker Hill Road
.Underground Lightening suppression system was replaced
.Grade work was corrected
.Walker Hill entrance original steps were reset
.Bulkhead and outdoor electrical outlets were installed
.New electrical service was installed in the utility room located in the new
partial basement
.Oil tank was relocated to the basement
.Original double front doors were restored using traditional materials
.Perimeter drain installed
.Electricity installed on town common
.Emergency exit lighting installed
.First floor electrical closet and propane toilet removed
All of this was completed under budget.
Plans for a new furnace require that we replace the 150 year old chimney. We are
pleased to announce we have won a second LCHIP grant for $7,000 toward this
estimated $14,000 job. The LHC needs to raise approximately $4,000 to match this
grant. We plan to raise this money through activities, donations and appeals
like this newsletter. Construction is planned for Summer 2011 so your help on
this phase of our work is urgently needed. Another goal for 2011 is to raise
enough money to replace the furnace, a $12,000 job. This too we hope to fund
through grants, fund raising and donations. Our mid-term goal is to make the
first floor compliant with building codes. Our ultimate goal is to make the
entire building useable for traditional community activities while respecting
and preserving its historical features.
Dennis McClary, Chairman
Landon Heritage Commission
122 NH Rte 12A, Unit # 4
Langdon, NH 03602
info@langdonheritage.org
To contact us regarding potential news related
items or if a resource for information is needed please contact:
Langdon Heritage Commission
info@langdonheritage.com
___________________________________________________________________
Langdon Heritage Commission, Town of
Langdon,
123 NH Rte 12A, Unit #4
Langdon, NH 03602
We thank you for your continued
support to save this very special building
and to continue our efforts to
preserve Langdon’s heritage.
____________________________________________________________________
All Donations
are greatly appreciated!
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