The 2025 Grant Recipients from The 1772 Foundation in Partnership with the N.H. Preservation Alliance
The N.H. Preservation Alliance, in partnership with The 1772 Foundation, has awarded grants totaling $125,000 to seventeen private non-profit organizations in New Hampshire to assist in preserving their historic structures. Funding will support a range of exterior projects including new roofs, masonry repointing, trim repair, repainting, windows restoration, and repairs to a historic dam. Two organizations have been awarded grant funds to support fire detection and security systems in their historic buildings. In some cases, the grants will advance multi-phase projects, while in others the funding will help a non-profit get started or complete important maintenance and repair work.
The grants will assist community landmarks in all corners of the state, from Coos County to the Seacoast to the Monadnock Region. Awards range from $2,500 to the grant maximum of $10,000. Each grantee is required to provide 1:1 matching funds for their project.
The buildings that will benefit span nearly two hundred and fifty years, from the oldest (1664) timber-framed house in New Hampshire listed as a National Historic Landmark in Portsmouth, to the 1911 National Register-listed New Hampshire Historical Society headquarters building designed by architect Guy Lowell in Concord. Uses include affordable housing, community meeting space, nonprofit headquarters, history museums, historical societies, a library, and a community center. Five of the awardees had previously been named to the Preservation Alliance’s annual Seven to Save endangered properties list.
Applications were reviewed by a selection committee of experts and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance staff. Grant criteria included the uniqueness or significance of the resource, imminence or severity of threat to the resource, availability of additional funding, a demonstrated understanding of the building’s needs, and the proposed plan’s adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
““Our benefactor, Stuart Barney Kean, had a simple mandate for The 1772 Foundation - to preserve historic structures. These modest bricks and mortar grants across seven states are a powerful example of fulfilling his legacy. We are thrilled to see our 2025 grants leverage additional funds and keep buildings functional and relevant.”
“We are so pleased to be able to make these grants to worthy projects across the state. This year, The 1772 Foundation’s investment in New Hampshire is protecting and revitalizing seventeen historic buildings, positively impacting communities by bringing needed capital investment to important community landmarks.”
Learn more about the 2025 grant recipients below.
Atkinson Historical Society
Center School, Atkinson (1880)
Clapboard repair and painting
Grant: $7,500
The Center School was used to educate Atkinson children from 1880-1949 and then served as the town police station and family mediation center. In 2020 when the building became vacant, the town planned to tear it down and sell the lot. The Atkinson Historical Society stepped in, got the school listed on the NH State Register and began preservation efforts. The school’s future use as a town history museum and activity center will be a convenient resource for the students of the Atkinson Academy across the street. A $7,500 grant will help match a Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) grant to repair and paint clapboards on this last remaining one-room schoolhouse in Atkinson.
“The 1772 Grant will be put towards the exterior restoration of the south and west sides of the Center School, Atkinson's last one remaining one room schoolhouse,” said Kate Rochford, President, Atkinson Historical Society
Woman’s Club of Concord
Chamberlin House Garage, Concord (c. 1906)
Roof and trim repairs
Grant: $5,000
After a multi-year project focusing on exterior repairs to the National Register-listed 1886 Chamberlain House, the Woman’s Club has turned its efforts to the early 20th century garage. The garage is important to the integrity of the National Register property in downtown Concord; it is one of the earliest purpose-built auto garages in Concord and its rental space offers an important revenue stream for the operating budget of the property. The building retains most of its character-defining features including the original doors of the three garage bays and the slate roof. The $5,000 grant will help the WCC address the roof and exterior repairs to this early 20th century garage.
“Rehabilitating the historic garage at the Woman’s Club of Concord helps our organization meet our mission. The garage provides passive income that supports our operating costs and helps us focus on maintaining Chamberlin House for the three residents who live there, our membership, and the public to enjoy. We are so pleased to be awarded this 1772 Foundation grant for our National Register-listed property,” said Nadine Miller, Chamberlin House Committee
NH Historical Society
New Hampshire Historical Society Headquarters, Concord (1911)
Masonry repointing
Grant: $5,000
This nationally significant Beaux-Arts building was designed by renowned architect Guy Lowell. It houses the New Hampshire Historical Society’s exhibits and research library, offices, and meeting space for the society’s popular public lectures and workshops. The building is a contributing structure in the Concord Civic District, a National Register District, and is described by James Garvin, retired state architectural historian, as “one of the best small-scale examples of classical design and granite construction in the United States.” This $5,000 grant will help support the much-needed repointing of the granite parapet to arrest water infiltration of the building envelope.
“The New Hampshire Historical Society’s iconic Guy Lowell- designed building is a treasure, viewed by many as one of the finest examples of a small public neo classical beaux-arts structure in the nation. This grant will help us continue to appropriately take care of it, ensuring it will stay in top condition for generations to come,” said Bill Dunlap, President, New Hampshire Historical Society
Enfield Shaker Museum
Brethren’s West Shop, Enfield (1820)
Clapboard repair/installation and painting
Grant: $7,500
Constructed in 1820, this building is one of the oldest remaining buildings on Enfield Shaker Museum’s nationally significant campus. The Shakers used this building as a workshop to produce a variety of items including scoops, ladles, farm tools, and grain measures. The building has been undergoing a comprehensive six-year rehabilitation. This $7,500 grant will help support the final stage of exterior work including clapboard repair and in-kind replacement, and exterior painting using the original ochre color determined by paint analysis.
“The Brethren's West Shop (1820) is one of the two remaining Enfield Shaker brother's work buildings (woodworking). Its most important feature is the living quarters of Brother Franklin Young (1845 - 1935) on the second floor that he decorated in the Renaissance Revival style, including a decoratively painted ceiling. So, the building provides the Museum with a perfect setting to interpret both classic Shaker style, as well as the less understood late Victorian style. We are thrilled to have received this grant from The 1772 Foundation through the NH Preservation Alliance to support the Brethren’s West Shop restoration efforts,” said Carolyn Smith, Enfield Shaker Museum.
Historic Harrisville, Inc.
Cheshire Mill Dam, Harrisville (1820)
Repairs
Grant: $10,000
This historic dam “arguably created the Village of Harrisville,” the country’s oldest intact mill village. The dam is an integral feature of the waterway that is a focal piece of the town, and the water source for the hydroelectric turbine which produces green energy for the mill operations, General Store and daycare center operated by Historic Harrisville in the village. The $10,000 grant will address the urgent repairs needed at the dam’s fore-bay and spillway that will arrest the adverse effects to the three adjacent mill buildings at this National Historic Landmark site.
“The Cheshire Mills Dam Repair Project is a crucial fix to a historic site in the center of this National Landmark town. The spillway of the dam has been damaged, and these repairs will ensure the structure will continue to control the water flow under the mill buildings and make possible renewable energy generation by our water turbine,” said John Knight, Executive Director, Historic Harrisville, Inc.
Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Ham House, Jackson (1830)
Window restoration
Grant: $7,500
This early 19th century homestead is in a remote area of the White Mountains and has never had electricity or indoor plumbing. By highlighting the connection of the surviving farmhouse to the land, a determined grass-roots group successfully advocated for the subdivision of a 1.6-acre lot with the house to save it from demolition by the local land trust which owns the surrounding 1,250 acres. The friends group has completed initial stabilization of the house with foundation repairs and sill replacement as they work to revive this rare early dwelling and find compatible new uses for it. A $7,500 grant will help fund replication and installation of the early 19th century windows.
“The c.1830 Ham House, a traditional northern hillside cape, persists as an echo in time after surviving 65 years of abandonment and slated demolition. This farmhouse is an important example of the intersection of land conservation and historic preservation, and is now building a bridge from a rich agrarian history to a new and repurposed future,” said Anne Pillion, Ham House Committee.
Jackson Historical Society
Jackson Town Hall, Jackson (1880)
Exterior painting
Grant: $7,500
Climate change is threatening this National Register-listed former town hall, now home to the local historical society. Increasingly frequent episodes of high water in the adjacent Wildcat River have severely eroded the riverbank and threaten to undermined the building’s foundation. The building’s opposite side stands close to the main road and thus suffers from snow, sand and salt build-up against its clapboards during the winter months. Thanks to a Seven to Save listing and strong fundraising effort by the Jackson Historical Society, the building will be moved away from both these threats, and this $7,500 grant will help support the exterior painting after it is place on a new foundation.
“The Jackson Historical Society's "Rescue, Restore, and Renovate" $1 million capital campaign intends to save and revive Jackson's town-owned 1879 Town Hall, which is threatened by a river and a road. The JHS is grateful for the 1772 grant which will help finalize the project with a fresh coat of paint after the building is moved, making this treasured community asset the pride of Jackson’s village center,” said Leslie Schomaker, President and Treasurer, Jackson Historical Society.
Laconia Historical & Museum Society
65 Water Street, Laconia (1894)
Roof replacement
Grant: $10,000
A $10,000 grant will help support the Laconia Historical & Museum Society’s first project of their “Legacy of Laconia Heritage Preservation Campaign,” a new initiative dedicated to making the needed repairs and upgrades to protect and preserve the society’s collections. This project of the “Protect the Collections” phase will replace the deteriorated and leaking roof of this late 19th century foundry building in downtown Laconia. The need is critical as the building is currently occupied by tenants supporting operational expenses on the first floor and storage of the society’s archival collections on the second floor
“The roof project for the Laconia Historical & Museum Society's archive building is important because replacing the roof will significantly contribute to protecting and preserving the story of Laconia, ensuring that we, along with future generations, can continue to learn about the people, places, and events that have shaped Laconia. We are incredibly excited and grateful to The 1772 Foundation and the NH Preservation Alliance for the opportunity and support,” said Tara Shore, President, Laconia Historical & Museum Society.
Lancaster Historical Society
Wilder-Holton House, Lancaster (1780)
Security/fire alarm system upgrades
Grant: $2,500
The Wilder-Holton House was the first two-story house built in this northern New Hampshire county and was also used for early town meetings and church services. It is listed to the National Register and is an excellent example of a timber-framed northern New England 18th c. house. The historical society has owned it since 1964 and has made significant investments in the building. A previous grant helped replace the house’s decayed sills, and in 2023-24 the worn siding was replaced, the building insulated, and all 29 original windows were reglazed and fitted with storm windows. This $2,500 grant will help fund replacement of a failing 30-year-old analog security system with a modern digital system that includes entry alarms, smoke/CO detectors, and perimeter cameras.
“The mission statement of the Lancaster Historical Society includes the goal of preserving and protecting Lancaster's history. This grant from the NH Preservation Alliance and The 1772 Foundation will certainly help us to do that by updating our security/fire alarm system for the Wilder-Holton Museum,” said Sharon Chamberlain, Secretary, Lancaster Historical Society.
Littleton Community Center
Eastman House Carriage Barn, Littleton (1884)
Barn roof replacement
Grant: $10,000
Following the multi-year rehabilitation of the 1884 Eastman House, home of the Littleton Community Center since 1919, advocates are now focusing their efforts on the property’s carriage house. The need is urgent. This $10,000 grant will support replacement of the leaking roof. The complex was a Seven to Save, is listed to both the state and national registers, and won a Preservation Achievement Award for the house rehabilitation in 2018. Once the rehabilitation work is completed, the building will resume its prior use as an active community space venue.
“The award from the 1772 Foundation in partnership with the NH Preservation Alliance will help us install a new roof on our 1884 Carriage Barn and enable us to reopen the building for community use. The Littleton Community Center is grateful for this contribution to preserve an irreplaceable Littleton Main Street building,” said Kathleen Smith, President, Board of Trustees, Littleton Community Center
Granite State Children’s Alliance
607 Chestnut Street, Manchester (1874)
Fire detection and suppression system
Grant: $10,000
After nearly four years of vacancy, Granite State Children’s Alliance purchased the Chestnut Street property in 2024 using American Rescue Plan Act funds. The non-profit group is not only committed to their mission of child advocacy, but also to maintaining the historic integrity of this significant 1874 property while adapting it to accommodate their non-profit operations. It was built by Herman Straw, son of Ezekiel Straw who was a governor of New Hampshire and the first of three generations of Straws to run the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, at one time the largest textile manufacturing complex in the world. The $2 million rehabilitation will be protected by a new fire detection and suppression system partially funded by this $10,000 1772 Foundation grant.
“Transforming this beloved historic building into a Child Advocacy Center means turning a place full of history into a place full of hope—where children can find safety, support, and the strength to heal,” said Joy Barrett, CEO, Granite State Children’s Alliance.
Dana Meeting House Association
Dana Meeting House, New Hampton (1801)
Exterior painting
Grant: $7,500
The Dana Meeting House Association was formed in 2019 to preserve and maintain this local treasure as a community gathering place and historical landmark. Their first project was raising money to repair the original plaster ceiling in 2023. Since then, the all-volunteer non-profit has effectively engaged the community’s interest through their non-denominational services, programs, newsletters, and determined fund-raising efforts. This $7,500 grant will help repair failing clapboards and re-paint the building, a unique early 19th c. meeting house with box pews. This work is phase 1 of a planned 3-year exterior restoration that will include trim and window restoration and restoration of the outhouse.
“The DMHA Board of Directors is thrilled to learn that we have been awarded a matching grant from the 1772 Foundation in partnership with the NH Preservation Alliance to restore the paint on the exterior of the Meeting House. Our historic building has been a beacon in the community since it was built in 1800. With this grant and the ongoing support of our Community, the Dana Meeting House Association will continue to preserve and promote our historic past for future generations. Thank you so much,” said Blair Folts, Secretary, Board of Directors, Dana Meeting House Association.
Historic New England
Jackson House, Portsmouth (1664)
Foundation repointing
Grant: $10,000
The Jackson House is the oldest timber-framed house in NH, is a National Historic Landmark, and was acquired by antiquarian William Sumner Appleton in 1924 from a member of the seventh generation of Jacksons to live there. Despite pressure to remove post-seventeenth century additions, Appleton limited his restoration to stripping off twentieth-century lath and plaster and replacing eighteenth-century sash with diamond-paned casements where evidence of the original fenestration was too compelling to ignore. This $10,000 grant will help fund exterior foundation repairs to improve the structural integrity and stability of the foundation and to seal the foundation from water and pest infiltration.
“The deteriorated stone foundation at Jackson House (1664) will be repaired, eliminating active and ongoing water infiltration that threatens the building’s integrity. Completing this project will significantly improve the resiliency of the oldest surviving wood-frame house in New Hampshire. We are incredibly excited to receive support for this much-needed project,” Katherine Pomplum, Institutional Giving Officer, Historic New England.
Acworth Historical Society
Acworth Village Store, Acworth (1865)
Roof replacement
Grant: $10,000
A $10,000 grant will help fund replacement of the failing roof at this purpose-built 1865 general store, the town’s only grocery store and eatery. In 2001, the Acworth Historical Society (AHS) stepped up and purchased the building when the owner retired and the store that had operated continuously for 136 years was in jeopardy of closing. Local advocates formed the Acworth Community Project who partners with the AHS and operates the general store. Income from the second-floor housing unit and the non-profit model that subsidizes the store helps sustain the ongoing use of the building.
“The Preservation Alliance has been a major supporter of Acworth's historic resources for more than 20 years. This $10,000 gift from the Alliance in partnership with The 1772 Foundation toward replacing the roof of the Village Store is a critical first step in a multi-phase project to rehabilitate this community landmark for flood resilience and energy efficiency,” said Helen Frink, Vice President, Acworth Historical Society.
Cohos Historical Society
Marion Blodgett Museum, Stratford (1854)
Stained glass restoration
Grant: $5,000
This former church was listed to Seven to Save and a small but dedicated group has been slowly but steadily improving the condition of the building that is located in the far northern, economically challenged part of the state. A $5,000 grant will help support the restoration of one stained-glass window that was damaged by a fire in the neighboring building. The heat was so intense that the fire melted the lead cames and compromised the structural integrity of the window.
“The Cohos Historical Society feels that our stained-glass restoration project is important to our community because we are restoring a piece of history in our town that preserves an important relic. We are fortunate enough to have had a book written about our town and to preserve the name of a prominent figure in town etched in glass from the 1800s for future generations to enjoy is an honor,” said Jamie Davis, President, Cohos Historical Society.
Wakefield Library Association
Wakefield Library, Wakefield (1903)
Exterior trim repairs
Grant: $5,000
This National Register-listed library is a remarkably intact and high-style example from the Colonial Revival period. It was the gift of Seth Low, who was president of Columbia University with family ties to Wakefield. The library is in the Wakefield Historic District and is owned and operated by the Wakefield Library Association, which is an exemplary building steward. The library has been a cherished community asset since its dedication in 1903. This $5,000 grant will help fund needed pilaster and sill repairs and a windowsill replacement, building needs listed as top priorities in the library’s 2024 building assessment report.
“Receiving this 1772 award will help us to restore the exterior damage to the historic Wakefield Public Library. This unique building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a focal point in our local Historic District,” said Pam Wiggin, Trustee President, Wakefield Library Association.
Wolfeboro Center Community Church
Wolfeboro Center Community Church, Wolfeboro (1841)
Roof replacement
Grant: $5,000
Listed to the National Register, the building has never had electricity or plumbing, and its interior is largely intact. When the center of town shifted to another area, this church found new congregants thanks to the 1872 arrival of the railroad and subsequent development of seasonal lakeside cottages nearby. After World War II, attendance declined, and COVID dealt the final death blow. Members of the local DAR chapter have now taken on the building's preservation and re-use possibilities, forming a new nonprofit and engaging the community in summer programming. This $5,000 grant will help support roof replacement and exterior painting as part of the recent efforts to revive and reuse this 1841 church building.
“We are grateful to the N. H. Preservation Alliance and The 1772 Foundation for awarding the Wolfeboro Center Community Church this grant. It will be a critical piece of the funding for our much-needed roof project and help us to continue to preserve the church as a meeting house for the entire community,” said Nancy Mershon Black, President, Wolfeboro Community Church.