Walpole Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Walpole Academy
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St., Walpole, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1831 |
| Architect | Howland, Aaron Prentiss |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000230 |
| Added to NRHP | May 21, 1975 |
The Walpole Academy is a historic building in Walpole, New Hampshire. It stands on Main Street. This building was once a school. Today, the Walpole Historical Society owns it. They use it as a museum about local history.
The academy was built in 1831. It is a great example of a 19th-century school building. It served as a private school until 1853. After that, it became Walpole's public high school. It stayed a high school until 1950. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This list includes important historical places in the United States.
What Does It Look Like?
The old Walpole Academy building is on the south side of Walpole's village center. It sits back from the east side of Main Street. It is a two-and-a-half-story building. It is made of wood and has a pointed roof. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboards.
The building looks like a classic Greek temple. It has large columns at the front. These are called Doric columns. They hold up a flat section above them. This section is called an entablature. Above that is a triangular part, known as a pediment. The pediment has a round window that looks like a fan. On top of the building, there is an eight-sided tower. This tower has arches and is called a cupola.
A School Through the Years
The Walpole Academy started as a private school in 1825. This means students paid to attend. The building you see today was built in 1831. A local builder named Aaron Prentiss Howland likely built it. He was known for designing many beautiful buildings in the Greek Revival style.
The academy stayed a private school until 1853. Then, the town of Walpole bought it. They used it as their high school. It served as the town's public high school for many years. In 1950, the Walpole Historical Society bought the building. Now, the museum inside shows items from local history. These items include old town records and historical objects.
