Giffin House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Giffin House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | NH 10, Goshen, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1835 |
| MPS | Plank Houses of Goshen New Hampshire TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001314 |
| Added to NRHP | June 21, 1985 |
The Giffin House is a special old building in Goshen, New Hampshire. It was built a long time ago, in 1835. For many years, it wasn't a home but a busy schoolhouse! It taught students until 1957. This house is one of only three old schoolhouses left in Goshen from the 1800s. It's also built in a unique way, using thick wooden planks. Because it's so important to history, the Giffin House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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Exploring the Giffin House
The Giffin House is located just south of the main village of Goshen. You can find it on the west side of New Hampshire Route 10. It's about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) south of where Brook Road meets Route 10.
What Does It Look Like?
The Giffin House is a single-story building made of wood. It measures about 18 feet (5.5 meters) by 27 feet (8.2 meters). It has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. The outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards. The house sits on a strong foundation made of granite stones.
Unique Plank Construction
One of the most interesting things about the Giffin House is how its walls were built. Instead of using a regular wood frame, its walls are made from thick wooden planks. These planks are about three inches thick and stand straight up, side by side. Wooden pegs, called dowels, help keep the planks stable and strong. This type of building, called "plank-frame construction," is quite rare. Goshen has a group of houses built this way, which is very unusual for New Hampshire.
A Schoolhouse for Many Years
This building started its life as the Mill Village District Schoolhouse in 1835. Imagine all the children who learned reading, writing, and arithmetic inside these walls! It served as a school for a very long time, until 1957. After that, it was changed into a home for people to live in. The Giffin House is a great example of how buildings can change their purpose over time while still holding onto their history.
