Manchester NH Heritage - History & Architecture

11/24/2024

City of Manchester Heritage Commission Meeting Agenda and Public Hearing Notice
Meeting Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Meeting Time: 5:30 P.M.
Meeting Location: Walter Stiles Conference Room- City Hall

The official notice is posted on the City Events Calendar: https://www.manchesternh.gov/
Meetings of the Manchester Heritage Commission are recorded and are available for viewing on demand at https://www.manchestertv.org/od

Agenda

1. Chair calls the meeting to order and Roll Call:

2. Regulatory review of a sign permit application in the Amoskeag Corporation Housing Historic District:

The owner of 95 Market Street, Tax Map 154, Lot 025 (Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, PLLC) proposes a freestanding 3.9 sq. ft., double sided hanging sign, mounted to a decorative metal post and bracket, located at the west end of the building facing Canal Street.

3. Additional Business:

- Discussion regarding the first C.A.M.P training session.
- Discussion over the City inventory of Historic Structures.
- Discussion of the Gaslight Historic Survey and NHDHR response.
- Review of Meeting Minutes.

Adjournment: Without objection, the Chair gavels the meeting to a close.

To view the application for agenda item 2.: https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Planning-and-Comm-Dev/Commissions/Heritage-Commission/Project-Applications
Note: This item was not posted as of 11/24/2024 at 6:15 p.m. If you don’t find it via the link, use the contact information below to request a copy.

For any questions or to submit comments please contact:

Manchester Heritage Commission
City of Manchester Planning and Community Development Department
One City Hall Plaza
Manchester, NH 03101
(603) 624-6450
[email protected]

Image: 95 Market Street (see Agenda Item 3.) Google Street View photo, September 2023

11/19/2024

IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE AROUND THE CITY as the Manchester Parks maintenance crews recently completed a brush removal project inside of Valley Cemetery. They removed excess brush that will increase visibility and aesthetic appeal. We are very pleased with all of the improvements to this historic cemetery! Photo and updates courtesy Manchester Parks and Recreation.

11/19/2024

This Friday -- An opportunity to learn about historic preservation planning and how to develop community support.

A special training session for members of the Manchester Heritage Commission is scheduled for Friday at City Hall. As this is a public meeting, anyone may attend. Contact the Commission with any questions: c/o Planning and Community Development Department at (603) 624-6450.

Agenda

City of Manchester Heritage Commission
Meeting Agenda and Public Hearing Notice
Meeting Date: Friday, November 22, 2024
Meeting Time: 9 A.M. – 12 P.M.
Meeting Location: Walter Stiles Conference Room- City Hall

The official notice is posted on the City Events Calendar: https://www.manchesternh.gov/

Agenda

1. Chair calls the meeting to order and Roll Call:

2. Commission Assistance & Mentoring Program
The City of Manchester Heritage Commission will participate in a Certified Local Government Grant funded training by the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. This in-person training will be Part I of a two-part series, and cover the following topics:

- Preservation Planning
- Community Engagement and Building Public Support

Adjournment: Without objection, the Chair gavels the meeting to a close.

Information on the Certified Local Government program in NH:
https://www.nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov/grants-incentives/certified-local-government-program
Image: Postcard - looking south down Elm Street from Merrimack Street. Source: My Genealogy Hound - https://www.mygenealogyhound.com/vintage-postcards/new-hampshire-postcards/NH-Manchester-New-Hampshire-Elm-Street-vintage-postcard-photos.html #

11/18/2024

Sharing a wonderful photo of a commercial establishment from Manchester's past. This building (listed as 20 Concord Street in the city property database) was constructed c. 1895 - https://gis.vgsi.com/manchesternh/Parcel.aspx?Pid=214

We often get asked about the history of the building that houses Firefly - this photograph shows the Lindquist brothers seated in front of their 22 Concord Street grocery store, sometime around 1900. They were Swedish immigrants who moved to Manchester, NH in 1885, and lived and worked here for many years. What would they think about our family owned restaurant located in the very same building as their family owned grocery?

11/16/2024

The Currier Museum of Art's two amazing Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses are getting an amazing amount of well-deserved ❤❤❤ on social media these days!

11/15/2024

Do you know of a property, business, or project that is deserving of an Historic Preservation Award? The MHA's Historic Preservation Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Historic Preservation Awards!
The Historic Preservation Awards program recognizes and supports historic preservation efforts in Manchester, like the Hallsville School, recipient of the 2019 City Landmark Award.
The 33rd Annual Historic Preservation Awards will be held on May 20, 2025 at the Derryfield School. Further details will be announced in the coming months.
A link to the 2025 Nomination Form is below. Please send in your nominations today!
https://manchesterhistoric.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/HPA-NOMINATION-FORM-2025.pdf

11/11/2024

Great video!

More information:
The devastating Flood of 1936 impacted Manchester from March 19-21, 1936. The Hands Across the Merrimack footbridge was completed in April 2008. It was built through a volunteer effort started in 2001 that raised money through private and public sources. The bridge is part of the area's rail trail system designed for use by bicyclists and pedestrians. The bridge connects the east side of the Merrimack River to the Piscataquog Trail on Manchester's West Side that continues into Goffstown. https://www.traillink.com/trail-maps/piscataquog-trail/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKp8qO421SA

Every time I cross the pedestrian bridge that spans the Merrimack River, I am intrigued by the remnants of this bridge. I looked into it several times but co...

11/08/2024

An update on repairs underway at the Manchester City Library to undo the damage caused by a second floor pipe leak in early September.

The 1914 Carpenter Memorial Library building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Victory Park Historic District https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Park_Historic_District

Flood repair update!
A burst pipe in a second-floor staff restroom over the Labor Day weekend led to a rainforest scenario in the stacks which holds our government documents and most of our non-fiction books. We are happy to report that the repair work has started. Here is the list of what this project entails:

• End panels and the caps that protected our books need to be removed so we can access all of the ceiling on the mezzanine level.
• Electrical lines to the area had to be disconnected and will need upgrading since some of it is original to the building’s construction.
• Lead paint abatement work needs to be done on the ceiling.
• Ceiling needs to be re-plastered and repaired as we had to put some holes in it to help dry out the cavity above it.
• Ceiling then needs to be repainted.
• Everything in the area which includes two levels of shelving and library materials will be cleaned and tested before we can reopen it for use again.

Please continue to excuse our appearance as repair work takes place and completion is expected sometime in early 2025.

11/04/2024

Congratulations to City of Manchester, NH Public Works on the completion of this important project! This is really impressive!

11/04/2024

Would you be interested in buying a darling little library building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places? The 1913 brick building was designed by famous Boston architect Guy Lowell. It was put on the market on October 24 and the Town of Boscawen Select Board is accepting purchase offers. For details:
https://www.boscawennh.gov/home/news/1913-library-offered-sale
History of the library: http://www.boscawenhistoricalsociety.com/1913-guy-lowell-library/
Article:
https://manchester.inklink.news/boscawen-seeks-buyer-for-historic-library-building-who-will-love-it-as-much-as-town-did/

The town of Boscawen is seeking a buyer for its former library building after years of struggling to preserve it for town use.

10/25/2024

Great info below on Dorr's Pond dam project and FYI definition of "riprap": loose stone used to form a foundation for a breakwater or other structure [such as a dam].

As restoration work on Dorrs Pond Dam progresses, we have had increased interest in the project from regular visitors to Livingston Park, especially those who frequent the Dorrs Pond trail. For those who are curious, here’s some additional information about the project from the engineering team at the Department of Public Works.

The dam is being repaired and upgraded to comply with New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) safety requirements. The project consists of concrete repairs to deteriorated portions of the concrete spillway, installation of new cut granite curbing for overtopping protection, replacement of existing riprap with new, larger riprap and full grouting, construction of a new concrete wall along the existing d**e, and removal of trees within 15-feet of the dam and d**e.

This work will allow the dam to more safely accommodate flooding events, increasing its resistance to extreme weather. The work is scheduled to conclude by the end of October.

Learn more about Dorrs Pond at Livingston Park at https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Trails-and-Facilities/Parks/Livingston-Park

*Photo by David Lane, courtesy of NH Union Leader

10/25/2024

NEWS: The Manchester Historic Association is seeking nominations for the 2025 Historic Preservation Awards program. https://manchesterhistoric.org/historic-preservation-awards/

Do you know of a property, business, or project that is deserving of an Historic Preservation Award? The MHA's Historic Preservation Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Historic Preservation Awards!
The Historic Preservation Awards program recognizes and supports historic preservation efforts in Manchester, like The Factory on Willow at 252 Willow Street, recipient of the 2022 Adaptive Reuse Award.
The 33rd Annual Historic Preservation Awards will be held on May 20, 2025 at the Derryfield School. Further details will be announced in the coming months.
A link to the 2025 Nomination Form is below. Please send in your nominations today!
https://manchesterhistoric.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/HPA-NOMINATION-FORM-2025.pdf

10/24/2024

10/22/2024

New mural in Arms Park honors the women and girls who worked for the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company.
https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/women-and-girls-of-amoskeag/collection_ce7ec230-8fd0-11ef-839f-5b183cb84219.html (includes a slide show)

The "Women and Girls of Amoskeag" mural project originated from a grant proposal submitted to the city as part of the CEAG (Community Engagement and Activity Grant) and its federal

10/21/2024

Of interest...

Learn about Manchester's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project by viewing this rather amazing short video (6 min 27 secs), and also at: https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Sewer-and-Stormwater/CSO
You can sign up for e-mail notifications about the CSO project and other city projects and activities at: https://www.manchesternh.gov/Residents/e-Services/Email-Notifications
City of Manchester, NH Public Works
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSvfep9WryQ

10/20/2024

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

Fantastic News! The Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program has been selected to receive a 2024 Volunteer NH “Spirit of NH” award! The award ceremony is scheduled for Monday night October 21, 2024 at the Capital Center of the Arts in Concord.

You are welcome to watch it livestreamed via YouTube! The livestream link is posted in the comments below and live-streaming and recording is courtesy of Concord TV.

People’s Choice Award Voting

One of the awards presented during the evening is the People’s Choice Award. This recognition is decided by popular vote. You will be able to vote for the People’s Choice Award starting on Sunday, October 20th at 6:30pm. Voting will take place via Live.VoxVote.com. A code will be posted on the Volunteer NH website and social media platforms. You can only vote once.

We submitted this award nomination on behalf of YOU, our wonderful volunteers, who have continuously assisted during volunteer trash cleanups for the past 24 years (25 years of cleanups). So this award is for YOU and we thank you tremendously for your assistance, partnership, and friendship over the years! Congratulations!! 😎

10/18/2024

The Currier Museum of Art's Zimmerman House and Kalil House continue to receive national and international attention. You can learn about these wonderful Frank Lloyd Wright-designed properties and book a tour at https://currier.org/frank-lloyd-wright/
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmerman_House_(Manchester,_New_Hampshire)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toufic_H._Kalil_House

10/12/2024

The unveiling of the Samantha Plantin Ln (formerly Grove Street) sign on Friday, October 22, 2024. Speaking on behalf of the Manchester Heritage Commission was Stan Garrity, Chairman. Congratulations to all involved, including
City of Manchester, NH Public Works and Black History of Manchester