Lempster Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lempster Meetinghouse
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lempster St., Lempster, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1794 |
| Architect | Bingham, James; Frink, Elijah |
| Architectural style | Rural Twin Porch |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000319 |
| Added to NRHP | September 08, 1980 |
The Lempster Meetinghouse is a very old and important building in Lempster, New Hampshire. It was built way back in 1794. At first, it was called Union Hall. This special building was used by different Christian groups for church services. It also served as a place for town meetings. Today, the town owns it, and it's used for many different community events. Because it's so old and special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Meetinghouse: Its Look and Story
The Lempster Meetinghouse is located right in the middle of Lempster's village. You can find it on the east side of Lempster Street. It's close to where Allen Road and North Pitkin Road meet.
This building is made of wood and has two stories. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboards. The front of the building has a square tower that sticks out. This tower goes up several levels. At the top, there's an open bell tower with arched openings. Above that is an eight-sided cupola. The right side of the building has what was once the main entrance. It's in the middle of the front, which has seven sections.
The meetinghouse was built in 1794. It is one of the few old New England meeting houses that are still standing from the 1700s. It's also one of the very few that has two porches. The town paid for it to be built. It was used as both a town hall and a church until 1822.
In 1822, the building was moved about one mile to where it is now. It stopped being used only for religious services. The upper gallery level was made bigger to create a second floor. The old box pews (which were like small enclosed seating areas) and the pulpit (where the preacher stood) were taken out. A bell tower was added, and a bell made by Paul Revere was put in it in 1824. Since then, the building has been used for many different community activities. These include meetings for the Grange, a local library, a high school academy, and even a local theater group.
See also
