Temple Town Hall facts for kids
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Temple Town Hall
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St., jct. of NH 45 and Gen. Miller Hwy., Temple, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1842 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000551 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 12, 2007 |
The Temple Town Hall is a special old building in the middle of Temple, New Hampshire. It's also known as the Union Hall or the Miller Grange Hall. Built way back in 1842, it's a great example of Greek Revival architecture, which is a style inspired by ancient Greek buildings.
This historic building has been used for many important things over the years. It started as a church, then became a Grange hall (a community meeting place), and now it's the town hall. People still use it for fun community events today. Because of its history and unique style, the Temple Town Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It was also listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places that same year.
Contents
What Does Temple Town Hall Look Like?
The Temple Town Hall stands in the center of Temple village, on the west side of Main Street. It's a single-story building, meaning it has one main floor. The original part of the building was made with strong wooden beams. It has a sloped roof and is covered with wooden clapboards, which are long, thin boards.
Unique Features of the Building
A square tower rises above the front of the building, which faces east. The front wall has three sections, with tall, flat columns called pilasters at the corners. These pilasters support a decorative band and a triangular top part, known as a pediment. The main door is in the middle, with a large window above it that has many small glass panes. The tower has a simple lower part covered in clapboards. The top part of the tower holds the belfry (where a bell would be) and has louvered openings, which are like angled slats.
A Brief History of the Temple Town Hall
The Temple Town Hall has a long and interesting past, changing its purpose several times.
From Church to Grange Hall
The building was first built in 1842 to be a church. Churches were often central to community life back then. In 1875, a local chapter of the Grange bought the building. The Grange is a community organization for farmers and their families. They used the building for meetings and social events. In the 1880s, the Grange made the building bigger, adding about 20 feet (6.1 m) to its length. This extra space allowed for a stage inside, which was perfect for Grange ceremonies and plays.
Becoming the Town Hall
In 1889, the town of Temple bought the building from the Grange. Even after the town bought it, the Grange continued to use the building. It also started serving as a place for town meetings and other official town functions. The building was used as the main meeting space for the town until 1990. Today, it's still a popular spot for community gatherings and social events, keeping its long history of serving the people of Temple alive.
