Boscawen Academy and Much-I-Do Hose House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Boscawen Academy and Much-I-Do Hose House
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Hose house on the left, academy on the right
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | King St., Boscawen, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) |
| Built | 1827 |
| Built by | Abbott, William |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000292 |
| Added to NRHP | December 8, 1980 |
The Boscawen Academy and Much-I-Do Hose House are two old buildings in Boscawen, New Hampshire. They are very important to the town's history. These buildings were used for over 150 years. Today, the Boscawen Historical Society owns them. In 1980, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are special historic places in the United States.
Contents
The Boscawen Academy: A Historic Schoolhouse
The Boscawen Academy was a private school. It was started in 1827. This happened because New Hampshire wanted to make secondary education better. The school building was made of brick in 1827 and 1828. William Abbot, a local builder, constructed it. He also built other important buildings in the area.
Building Design and Features
The academy building has two stories. It is built in the Federal style. The outside walls are made of brick. The roof is low and sloped. Above the front door, there is a special window shaped like a fan. The front of the building has three sections. The main door is in the middle. It has a fanlight window above it.
The sides of the building have four sections. Some windows on the sides were later covered with bricks. This was done when the staircases inside were changed. A two-part tower sits above the front entrance. It has a square base. Above that is an open bell tower. Four posts hold it up, and a railing goes around it. A four-sided cupola and a weathervane top the tower.
Inside the Academy
The inside of the academy has not changed much since the 1800s. Each floor has one large classroom. Near the front door, there are two staircases. They go up on either side of the door. On the second floor, there is a small room at the top of the stairs. The building was updated in 1858. Some parts of the inside got a new look, called Greek Revival style. It was updated again after 1872.
School History and Ownership
The Boscawen Academy was a private school until 1872. Then, the building was sold to the Boscawen Public Schools. They bought it for $2,000. It was used as a public school until 1966. After that, the building was sold to the Boscawen Historical Society.
The Much-I-Do Hose House: A Fire Station's Story
The "Much-I-Do" Hose House is a small, one-story building. It is made of wood. You can find it just north of the academy building. When it was built in 1893, it was half its current size. Its first job was to store the hoses for Boscawen's fire company number 2. This fire company was named "Much-I-Do" in 1904.
Changes Over Time
In 1922, the building was made twice as big. This was done so it could hold a fire truck. Later, large overhead doors were added to the front. The building was used as a fire station until 1969. From 1971 to 1973, it served as the local police station. After that, it was given to the Boscawen Historical Society. Today, the Historical Society rents out half the building for the local post office. They use the other half for storage.
See also
