Milton Town House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Milton Town House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | NH 125 and Town House Rd., Milton, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1803 |
| Built by | Multiple |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000311 |
| Added to NRHP | November 26, 1980 |
The Milton Town House is a very old and important building in Milton, New Hampshire. It's located where Town House Road meets New Hampshire Route 125. Built way back in 1803, it was first used for both town meetings and church services.
Since it was built, it has always been the place where Milton's town meetings happen. In 1855, it stopped being used as a church and was made smaller, becoming just one story tall. Because of its history, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Contents
What Does the Milton Town House Look Like?
The Milton Town House is a single-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards. You can find it in the middle of a three-way intersection of Town House Road and Route 125.
Building Features
On the front side, which faces east, there are two doors. Next to these doors are windows that are a bit higher up. There's also a window right in the middle of the pointed part of the roof. All the windows have shutters that can be opened and closed. They are usually kept closed when the building isn't being used.
Around the north and west sides of the building, there's an iron railing. This railing was originally put there so people could tie up their horses when they came to meetings! Inside, the walls are covered with knotty pine wood, and the ceiling is made of pressed tin.
History of the Milton Town House
The Milton Town House was built in 1803, just one year after the town of Milton was officially formed. It was first designed to be a two-story building. Its main purpose was to serve as a place for both town government meetings and religious gatherings.
Changes Over Time
In 1855, the local church group had some disagreements and decided to sell the building. The town of Milton bought it. After buying it, the town changed the building quite a bit. They removed the second story, making it a single-story building. They also took out many of the things inside that were used for church services.
However, in 1965, a special pulpit was put back into the building. A pulpit is a raised stand where a preacher speaks. It wasn't put in its original spot, but it serves as a reminder of the building's past as a church.
The Unique Animal Pound
The area around the Milton Town House also includes a special old structure called an animal pound. This is a circular stone pen that was used to hold stray animals, like cows or horses, that wandered away from their farms. It's located across Route 125 from the Town House.
The original animal pound was built in 1804. It was rebuilt in 1823 and then moved and rebuilt again in 1928 when the highway was made wider. This animal pound is very rare! It's one of only three stone animal pounds from the 1800s that are still standing in New Hampshire.
See also
