East Andover Village Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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East Andover Village Center Historic District
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The grange hall; the school is behind it in this photo
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. Rt. 11 and Chase Hill Rd., Andover, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 2.2 acres (0.89 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architect | Bailey, Horace |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000191 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1989 |
The East Andover Village Center Historic District is a special area in East Andover, New Hampshire. It's like a time capsule showing what a village center looked like long ago. This district covers about 2.2 acres. It includes a cemetery and three important old buildings. These are the Andover Congregational Church, the Highland Lake Grange Hall, and the East Andover Schoolhouse.
You can find this historic area at the corner of New Hampshire Route 11 and Chase Hill Road. All three buildings are made of wood, painted white, and have a similar old-fashioned style from the 1800s.
Contents
Discover East Andover's Historic Village Center
The East Andover Village Center Historic District is a collection of buildings and a cemetery. They show how people lived and worked in the 19th century. These buildings are important because they tell the story of the community. They were used for church, school, and town meetings.
The Oldest Building: Andover Church
The Andover Congregational Church is the oldest building here. It was built in 1796. People used it for both town meetings and church services. It's a two-story wooden building. It has two doors at the front. These doors lead to a small entry area. From there, you can go into the main hall. Stairs lead up to balconies on both sides.
By 1822, the building needed a lot of repairs. So, in 1840, it was rebuilt and improved. They even turned the building around so its front faced south. During this work, they added the tall tower. They also gave it a popular style called Greek Revival. Since then, only small changes have been made to the church.
Resting Place: Old North Church Cemetery
The Old North Church Cemetery was given to the town in 1805. However, it seems people were buried there even before that year. At least two burials happened earlier than 1805. The graves are set up in rows going north to south. This cemetery is about half an acre in size. It was mostly full by the late 1800s. You can find the cemetery along Route 11, just behind the church.
Learning and Community: Highland Lake Grange
The Highland Lake Grange Hall was built in 1850. A group called the Mountain Club built it. This club was for people who loved reading and writing. They wanted a place to meet. They also wanted to help young people get a better education. The building first opened as the Highland Lake Institute. This was a school that lasted for five years.
After that, the building was used for different schools and town activities. In 1893, it was made bigger and renamed Union Hall. In 1938, the Union Hall Associates sold the building. It was bought by the local Grange chapter. The Grange is a community group. They had been meeting in the building since 1894. Not many changes have been made to the building since 1893.
School Days: East Andover Schoolhouse
The East Andover Schoolhouse was built in 1903. It replaced an older school building. That old school was located just south of the grange hall. The new schoolhouse is just east of the grange hall. It served as a public school until 1962. The biggest change during this time was adding a shed for wood and coal at the back. Later, the church bought the building. They now use it for Sunday School and as a nursery for young children.
A Special Place: National Register Listing
Because of its history and importance, the East Andover Village Center Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's recognized as a significant historic site in the United States.
