Wilder-Holton House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wilder-Holton House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 226 Main St., Lancaster, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1780 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000231 |
| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1975 |
The Wilder-Holton House is a special historic house museum located at 226 Main Street in Lancaster, New Hampshire. Built in 1780, it is famous for being the oldest house still standing in all of Coos County. It was also the very first two-story house built in the region.
Because of its importance, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is owned by the Lancaster Historical Society, which runs it as a museum where visitors can learn about the area's past.
Contents
A Look at the Historic House
The Wilder-Holton House stands at the north end of Lancaster's Main Street. It is a two-story building made from a wooden frame and covered with wooden boards called clapboards. The house has a special kind of roof called a hip roof, which slopes down on all four sides.
The main entrance faces east and has a small porch covering it. Inside, the house has a large open room on the second floor that was once used as a ballroom for dances and gatherings.
The Story of the Wilder-Holton House
A man named Jonas Wilder built the house in 1780. At the time, it was a very modern and impressive building because all other homes in the area were only one story high.
A Center for the Community
The Wilder-Holton House quickly became an important place for the whole town. In the 1790s, before a church was built, people gathered here for religious services. It was also used for town meetings, where important decisions about the community were made.
In the 1800s, the house likely served as a boarding house. People visiting the nearby county courthouse would stay there. For many years, the house was part of a large farm. It has been a museum cared for by the Lancaster Historical Society since the 1960s.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Coos County, New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 84: Wilder-Holton House
