Mission Statement
The Center Harbor Heritage Commission, under the umbrella of the Town Select Board, strengthens and stimulates the local economy by recognizing the use and protection of resources and by encouraging the preservation and revival of historic buildings, structures, and places. This includes tangible or intangible resources, primarily man-made, that are valued for their historic, cultural, aesthetic, or community significance within their natural, built, or cultural contexts.
Heritage Fund
In August 2015, the Center Harbor Heritage Fund was established pursuant to RSA 674:44-d Appropriations Authorized. Every monetary donation and all monies appropriated by the Town for the Heritage Commission to carry out its purposes are placed in this Fund. The Fund is non-lapsing and allowed to accumulate from year to year. The Town Treasurer has custody of all monies in the Heritage Fund. Disbursements must be authorized by a majority vote of the Heritage Commission.
Resources
Inventories of Center Harbor’s Historical & Cultural Resources
- Center Harbor Historical & Cultural Resources Inventory (2018)
- Centre Harbor Village Historic District (c1800-1922), listed on Federal Register of Historic Places
- 1843 Center Harbor Town House, listed on New Hampshire Register of Historic Places
- 1886 Center Harbor Village Schoolhouse, listed on New Hampshire Register of Historic Places
- 1809 Lake View/Pleasant View Cemetery, listed on the New Hampshire Register of Historic Places
Historic Building Conditions, Reports, and Assessments:
- James E. Nichols Memorial Library Existing Conditions & Assessment Report (2019)
- Center Harbor Village Schoolhouse Existing Conditions & Assessment Report (2018)
- Center Harbor Town House Historic Building Assessment & Feasibility Study (2016)
Donate to the Heritage Fund
Together, we can preserve and protect Center Harbor’s historic places, small town charm and rural character.
Donations to the Center Harbor Heritage Fund support the work of the Town of Center Harbor Heritage Commission to recognize, restore, preserve and protect our Town’s historical and cultural resources.
To donate, please make your check payable to: The Center Harbor Heritage Fund and mail to: Town of Center Harbor, PO Box 140, 36 Main Street, Center Harbor, NH 03226.
Those who contribute $100 or more will be recognized on the Beatrice Lovering Honor Roll, which is named in memory of the first teacher at the Center Harbor Town House School. Donations are tax-deductible.
1843 Center Harbor Town House Features and Renovations
Located on its original site at the corner of Daniel Webster Highway/Route 3 and Waukewan Road, the Center Harbor Town House was the center of Town administration and community activity for more than a century. It was constructed in 1844 to serve as a secularized meeting hall on land that the Town purchased for $5 near its geographical center west of Lake Winnipesaukee. Town Meetings and voting were held here from 1844 through 1964. The Town House also served as a rural schoolhouse, beginning with 24 students in 1933 and continuing until 1946, when there were only 11 students. It was still used for voting through the 1960s, but Town Meetings were moved to the larger grange hall.
In 1970, the current municipal offices and firehouse on Main Street were completed. Then, from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s, the Town House was leased to the Disabled American Veterans. In the late 1980s, the Town of Center Harbor reclaimed the building
Unique for its high level of architectural integrity, the Town House is a single story, gable-front Greek Revival style meetinghouse with a single-story ell and shed addition, sitting on a stone foundation. Renovated in 1907 to comply with a law providing for polling places, it was converted into a one-room schoolhouse in 1933. A woodshed and storage room were added in 1939. Since it was always used as a public building, the Town House has not been significantly altered. Many distinctive Greek Revival style architectural details remain: overall temple form, wide trim at the cornices, corner pilasters, and heavy drip-lines over windows. You can view some of those details by clicking here.
The Town House went though a major renovation from 2016 to 2021. Click here to view the town’s efforts of this fantastic journey.
Commission Members
- Ginny Fisher — Chairperson (Term expires 2026)
- Nancy Sapack — Secretary (Term expires 2026)
- Harry Viens — Selectmen’s Representative (Term expires 2028)
- David Hughes — Member (Term expires 2027)
- Linda Verge — Member (Term expires 2028)
- Ann Xavier — Member (Term expires 2028)
- Rachel Xavier — Member-Alternate (Term expires 2028)
Volunteers
- Rick Kipphut — Barn Survey Volunteer
- Mae Williams — Consultant
Contact Information
- Meeting Information: The Heritage Commission meet on the first Monday of the month, typically in the Center Harbor Town House located at 175 Daniel Webster Highway.
- Email: ginnyfisher47@gmail.com
- Phone: 603-253-4561
- Mailing Address: Town of Center Harbor, Heritage Commission, PO Box 140, 36 Main Street, Center Harbor, NH 03226
Quick Links
- NH Department of Historical Resources
- NH Historical Society
- NH Preservation Alliance
- NH State Register of Historic Places
- National Park Service Dept of Interior
- National Register of Historic Places
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