Park Hill Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Park Hill Meetinghouse
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Park Hill Meetinghouse with New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 74 in the foreground
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Park Hill, Westmoreland, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1764 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000278 |
| Added to NRHP | September 8, 1980 |
The Park Hill Meetinghouse is a very old and special building in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. It was built way back in 1764! This building is a great example of two old styles of architecture: Federal and Greek Revival. It was even influenced by a famous architect named Elias Carter.
A meetinghouse was a place where people gathered for both religious services and town meetings. This one was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, a local historical society takes care of it.
Exploring the Meetinghouse
The Park Hill Meetinghouse is in a small village called Park Hill. You can find it north of Westmoreland's main center. It is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards.
The front of the building is wide with five sections. It has special flat columns on the corners. There are three doors, each framed by more flat columns and topped with a long decorative piece. A porch with a pointed roof sticks out over the doors. Round columns hold up this porch.
Above the porch, a tall, square tower rises in three parts. At the very top, there is a bell-shaped dome and a weather vane. This is a tool that shows which way the wind is blowing.
A Building on the Move
The Park Hill Meetinghouse was built in 1764. But it has been moved not just once, but twice! It also changed its look a lot over the years. When it was first built, it did not even have a tall steeple.
The first time it moved was in 1779. This happened because people in the community were moving to different areas. When it moved, small porches were added to its sides.
Then, in 1824, it was moved again to where it stands today. During this second move, the side porches were taken off. The main room inside was made bigger. This is also when the tall tower and the front porch were added. These new parts were designed by Elias Carter, who used similar ideas for other meetinghouses nearby.
Later, in 1853, the outside of the building was updated again. It was given a new look in the popular Greek Revival style. This style often uses elements from ancient Greek buildings, like columns.
See also
