Wakefield Village Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wakefield Village Historic District
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off NH 153, Wakefield, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 79.5 acres (32.2 ha) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002521 |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1984 |
The Wakefield Village Historic District is a special area in Wakefield, New Hampshire. It's like stepping back in time! This historic village is found where New Hampshire Route 153 meets Mountain Laurel Road. This spot used to be a very important road for traveling north and south in Carroll County.
Most buildings here are homes built between the 1700s and early 1900s. You can also see the old town hall from 1836. There's also the public library, a Grange Hall, and a one-room schoolhouse. This schoolhouse now holds the local history group. This entire district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Exploring Wakefield Village's Past
The village grew around a road junction created in 1778. This was when a new road was built towards Parsonsfield, Maine. Many houses in the district were built around this time, up until the 1820s. They often show a simple, local style or the more formal Federal style.
Old Homes and Their Stories
Most homes in the district are quite old. One of the oldest is "The Anchorage," a simple Cape-style house. Experts believe it was built around the 1770s.
There are a couple of homes that stand out. "Westlook" is a newer house, built in 1929. It has a style called Colonial Revival, which means it looks like older colonial homes. The Jackson Horne House was built in 1875. It was later updated in 1865, which is interesting because the update happened before it was built! (This might be a typo in the original text, but we'll keep the dates as given).
Important Public Buildings
The Old Town Hall was built in 1836. This building was used for town meetings until 1895. That's when a new town hall was built in Sanbornville. Since then, the old hall has been used by the Congregational Church for community activities.
The Lovell Grange Hall was built in 1918. A Grange is a community group, and this one started in 1892. The hall is a simple wooden building with clapboard siding.
The Wakefield Public Library building has an interesting history too. The oldest part of the library started as a lawyer's office in the 1860s. The town received it as a gift in 1895 from Seth Low. A newer part of the library was also given by Low and built between 1902 and 1903.
