Old Webster Meeting House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Webster Meeting House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off NH 127 on Battle St., Webster, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1791 |
| Built by | Samuel Jackman |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000479 |
| Added to NRHP | March 7, 1985 |
The Old Webster Meeting House is a really old and important building in Webster, New Hampshire. It's called a 'meeting house' because people used to meet there for different reasons. It was built way back in 1791. Not many buildings from the 1700s are still around in northern New England, so this one is special!
Believe it or not, the whole building was moved in 1942! They had to move it because of a big flood control project. Later, in 1979, its foundation was updated. Today, a group called the Society for the Preservation of the Old Meeting House takes care of it. It's now a museum where you can learn about local history. It became a nationally recognized historic place in 1985.
Contents
Exploring the Old Meeting House
The Old Webster Meeting House is right in the middle of Webster village. You can find it on Battle Street, which is also New Hampshire Route 127. It's a two-and-a-half story building made of wood. It has a classic sloped roof and wooden siding.
The front of the building has seven sections, each with large windows. The main door is in the middle. It has simple decorations around it, in a style called Greek Revival. Above the door, there's a small window.
Inside the Meeting House
When you go inside, you'll find an entry area. From here, stairs go up to the second floor on both sides. In the past, the first floor was used for town meetings and other community events. The upper floor was used for religious gatherings. Behind the building, there's a long row of sheds, about 100 feet (30 m) long. These were used to shelter horses.
A Brief History of the Building
The area where Webster is now was once part of another town called Boscawen. People living here asked to separate because it was too far to travel to Boscawen's main meeting house. So, in 1791, this "westerly" meeting house was built. It looked a lot like the original meeting house from 1769.
For many years, the town and a religious group called the Congregationalists shared the building. This continued until 1823. Then, another church group didn't like the Congregationalists using the building. Because of this, the Congregationalists built their own church nearby, called the Webster Congregational Church.
After that, the Old Webster Meeting House was used by the town and another group called the Christian Union Society. In 1844, they decided to officially divide the building. This led to some changes:
- The open gallery on the second floor was turned into a full second floor.
- Outside staircases were removed, and new stairs were built inside.
- The main entrance got its Greek Revival decorations around this time.
Saving the Meeting House
In 1941, the building was planned to be torn down. This was part of a big project to control floods. But a local group stepped in to save it! They worked hard, and the building was moved to its current spot in 1942. Now, it's a museum where everyone can learn about the history of the area.
See also
