Deerfield Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Deerfield Center Historic District
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Candia Rd., 1-14 Church Street, Deerfield, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 12.1 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Built | 1834 |
| Architect | Foster & Robinson; Chase R. Whitcher |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Classical Revival, et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000958 |
| Added to NRHP | September 14, 2002 |
The Deerfield Center Historic District is like the old heart of the rural town of Deerfield, in New Hampshire. It stretches along Church Street, which used to be called Old Center Road South. This special area includes many of the town's important buildings. You'll find the town hall, a church, and several old homes here. Most of these buildings were built before 1920. Because of its historical importance, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Contents
Exploring Deerfield's Historic Heart
This historic district shows how the town of Deerfield grew over time. It's a great place to see buildings from different eras, each telling a part of the town's story.
How Deerfield Center Grew
The town of Deerfield officially became a town in 1766. Before that, it was part of a larger land grant from 1721. The very first town center was located on a hill, a bit north of where it is today. It didn't have much flat land for buildings.
The current town center grew up around a busy crossroads. This is where Church, Candia, Raymond, and North roads meet. In 1805, a Baptist church was built here. By the 1820s, more buildings appeared, including houses and places for travelers to stay. By 1835, all the local religious groups had built their churches in this spot.
In 1845, the town decided to build a new town hall. They even used some wood from the original meeting house to build the new one! Other important town buildings followed. The library was built between 1913 and 1914. The fire department building was added in 1933.
What You'll Find in the District
The historic district runs northwest along Church Street from the main crossroads. It has fourteen main buildings, and twelve of them are considered historic. These buildings include:
- Three churches
- The town hall
- The fire station
- The Soldiers Memorial, which now holds the public library
- Several private homes
Most of the buildings are made of wood. They have either original wooden siding or modern siding that looks similar. However, the fire station and the Soldiers Memorial building are made of brick.
The buildings were constructed in three main periods:
- The 1830s
- The 1850s and 1860s
- The 1880s
You'll see many different styles of architecture from the 19th century. No single style completely takes over the district.
Who Designed These Buildings?
We know the names of the people who designed two of the important buildings in the district:
- The Deerfield Town House, built in 1856, was designed by a team called Foster & Robinson from Concord.
- The Soldiers Memorial Building, which is now the public library, was designed by Chase R. Whitcher. He was an architect from Manchester, and the building was completed between 1913 and 1914.
