Francestown Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Francestown Meetinghouse
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | NH 136, Francestown, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1803; 1837 |
| Architect | Patch, Isaac; Patch, William |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000667 |
| Added to NRHP | June 14, 1999 |
The Francestown Meetinghouse is a very old building in Francestown, New Hampshire. It is located on Route 136. This white building was first built around 1801 to 1803. It was later rebuilt in 1837. That's when it got its special Greek Revival style.
For many years, it was used as a church. It also served as a place for town meetings until 1833. In 1999, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site. Today, a local group takes care of it. They use it as a helpful place for the community.
What the Meetinghouse Looks Like
The Francestown Meetinghouse stands out in the middle of Francestown village. It is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and white boards on the outside. The front of the building looks like an old Greek temple. It has four tall columns called Doric pilasters. These go up two stories to a flat top part and a triangle shape. Inside the triangle is a half-circle design.
The building also has a tall tower. The tower has two square sections. On top is a pointed steeple. The first section has a clock that belongs to the town. The second section is an open bell tower. It has rounded arch openings for the bells.
A Look at Its History
The first meetinghouse in Francestown was built near this spot. It was built between 1801 and 1803. Building it took a long time because the community was not very rich. This building was used by two different church groups. These were the Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches. They shared a minister who was paid by the town.
In 1825, a new church group, the Calvinists, didn't like the idea of a tax-funded minister. So, in 1833, the town sold its part of the building. The Congregationalist church then owned the whole building. Later, in 1877, there was a disagreement within the church group. This led to a court case. The court decided that a different group owned the building. This group then asked the church members to leave.
The building kept being used mostly for church services. This continued until 1987. Then, it was sold to a local non-profit group. This group turned it into a community center.
See Also
