Milford Town House and Library Annex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Milford Town House and Library Annex
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Nashua St., Milford, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architect | Bryant & Rogers; Frederick W. Stickney |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Second Empire, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 88001436 |
| Added to NRHP | December 1, 1988 |
The Milford Town Hall is an important old building in Milford, New Hampshire. It used to be called the Milford Town House and Library Annex. This historic building stands in a key spot, right across from the town's central oval.
It was built between 1869 and 1870. Later, in 1891, more parts were added to it. This building is special because it's the only known building still standing that was designed by the architect Gridley J. F. Bryant. It's also a great example of two old building styles: Italianate and Second Empire architecture. In 1988, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important places in American history.
Milford Town Hall: Its Design and Past
The Milford Town Hall is located in the center of Milford. You can find it on the east side of the town's main oval. The main part of the building, which faces the oval, was built in 1869. It has two stories and is made of brick with granite stone details.
The company Bryant & Rogers from Boston designed this part. Its style looks similar to other public buildings that Gridley J. F. Bryant designed around that time. The building has an Italianate style. It also has a bell tower. Inside the tower is a bell made by Paul Revere in 1802. This bell was first used in Milford's very first town hall.
Adding the Library Annex
In 1891, a library addition was built at the back of the building. This part faces Nashua Street. It made the south side of the building much longer. An architect named Frederick W. Stickney from Lowell designed this new section. He used a different kind of brick. However, the new part still looks like the original building.
Changes Over Time
When the building was first made, the ground floor along Nashua Street had shops and businesses. But over time, these spaces were changed into offices for the town government. The top floor was first used by a local group called the Masonic lodge. They stopped using it in 1939. After that, many of their old decorations were removed.
The new part of the building was mainly built to hold the town library. But its basement was first used by the fire department. More recently, it was used for emergency ambulance services. The library stayed in this building until a new library was built across the street in 1951.
