LCHIP, Land and Community Heritage Investment Program

LCHIP Road Trip! More fun, food and family activities than you ever imagined! It's happening September 21-22 in Portsmouth. Hundreds of magical fairy houses will be on display plus fairy-inspired performances by the Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater, The Players' Ring (2014 LCHIP grant) and New Hampshire Theatre Project. The fairy house scavenger hunt is at Historic New England's Langdon House (2011 LCHIP grant). More details at fairyhousetour.com
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Borrowing this post idea from Badlands National Park. "Monochromatic looks have been all the rage recently" and, they claim, "Yellow is the new black…at least in Badlands National Park!" For New Hampshire, orange might be the new black, at least in early fall! Jerry Monkman captures the orange monochrome look perfectly in this photo of Mt. Jesse. SELT - Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire led the the Mt Jesse Birch Ridge Community Forest project, a community effort to conserve 606-acres in New Durham and Middleton, with help from LCHIP in 2023. For all the colors of fall foliage go to visitnh.gov/seasonal-trips/fall/peak-foliage-map

LCHIP Road Trip! The Orford Conservation Commission and The Upper Valley Land Trust are hosting their "Tour of the Sky” this Friday, Sept. 6 at 7:15 PM. Join them at Mountain View Farm, the perfect remote spot with a 360 degree view. Registration is required at uvlt.org/events/stargazing-at-mountain-view-farm/

Stargazing at Mountain View Farm - Upper Valley Land Trust The Orford Conservation Commission and the Upper Valley Land Trust are excited to host their annual night under the stars, led by Bobby Farlice-Rubio. Mountain View Farm in the Quinttown region of Orford is the perfect place to take a tour of the night sky. Its remote location, 360 degree view, and....

That wonderful time of year is here! With help from LCHIP, these one room schoolhouses are still open for us to learn from. 1863 Sutton District No. 9 South Village Schoolhouse, 1858 Little Red Schoolhouse in Wakefield, 1778 Kelley Corner School, Gilmanton,

It was at the Shaker Trustee's Office that the Shakers executed contracts for their inventions and manufactured goods such as washing machines and seed packets. Eldress Bertha Lindsay is shown in the entry hall. The Shaker “brand” became known for quality, integrity and reliability. LCHIP funds helped renovate this important hub of all commercial enterprises. Happy Labor Day Weekend! #

So many reasons LCHIP is excited to support the Oxbow Recreation Area project. Of major importance is maintaining public access to these lands for year-round recreational opportunities. Appreciate the LCHIP signage too!

LCHIP Project in the News! The 59 projects named to receive Save America’s Treasures grants includes the 1768 Dover Friends Meetinghouse. Congratulations! This LCHIP grant recipient has long served as a community gathering place, beginning in the 1770s when the colonists came together to plan a response to British policies.

The National Park Service Awards $25.7 Million to Preserve Historic Sites Fifty-nine nationally significant sites and historic collections received funding through the Save America’s Treasures grant program.

Great to see! According to Mont Vernon Heritage Commission,"Construction of the Old Meeting House began in 1781. Each local farmer contributed timber for its frame. The building was put to use before floor timbers were laid, with only the frame covered." In 2020, the Mont Vernon Town Hall named to New Hampshire Preservation Alliance's Seven to Save list. The LCHIP-assisted property (restoration of the historic windows) sits at the center of Mont Vernon's Historic District.

This plaque, generously donated by Anna Szok and her husband, Tim Berry, is proudly mounted by the front door of our historical Town Hall building to forever memorialize its addition to the National Register of Historic Places.

October 12, 1932 at the dedication of Daniel Webster's bust (center left) in front of the Congregational-Christian Church of Franklin. Daniel Webster rented pew #23. Daniel Chester French sculpted the bust and his daughter, Margaret French Cresson, completed it. The church has served the Franklin community for 200 years as a place of worship and community gatherings. Photo by Geo. H. Russell of Lowell, MA print #4335.

LCHIP Project in the News! In 2015, LCHIP worked with Piscataquog Land Conservancy to help create Rose Mountain Preserve. Good luck riders.

Rose Mountain Rumble in Lyndeborough benefits conservancy What started as a way to conserve Rose Mountain has blossomed as a yearly gravel biking event that brings local enthusiasts and casuals alike to the area to raise money for the Piscataquog Land Conservancy.As the Rose Mountain Rumble’s ninth...

New exhibit to visit at the LCHIP-assisted Woodman Museum in Dover. The museum used the LCHIP grant help fund a comprehensive historic building assessment for the 1818 Woodman House.

Honoring Gina's Wishes. In 2011, SELT - Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire, protected the 62-acre parcel owned by the estate of Virginia Bell and added it to the Pawtuckaway River Reservation in Epping and Raymond. “Ginia loved the land,” explains her niece Beth Hostetter. “She knew every inch….each rock, tree, where and when the wintergreen came up, what route the wild turkeys would take, how many beavers there were. Ginia was excited to be part of the Southeast Land Trust and her family is proud to be a small part in honoring her wishes to protect her land.”

Moose on the Move Bike Fest https://www.bikereg.com/moose-on-the-move

LCHIP Project in the News! LCHIP supported the Picadilly Farm project with a natural resource grant awarded to Monadnock Conservancy.

Conservation easement to preserve Wi******er farm for future generations WI******ER — The Monadnock Conservancy has purchased a conservation easement on 21.9 acres of Picadilly Farm in Wi******er, the final piece for protecting the land’s fertile soil from development forever.

Spread the word! Nominations are open until Aug. 28.

New Hampshire Preservation Alliance Seeks 'Seven To Save' Nominations The program focuses attention and resources on significant historic properties in New Hampshire. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 28.

LCHIP Road Trip! Who doesn't love trucks! See them all at Truck and Tractor Day at New Hampshire Farm Museum this Saturday, August 17. Their entire fleet of tractors, trucks, emergency vehicles, earth moving equipment, and antique cars will be on display. LCHIP has assisted the New Hampshire Farm Museum with grants in 2002, 2010 and 2013.

Truck and Tractor Day is quickly approaching! The New Hampshire Farm Museum's most popular event is Saturday, August 17th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You don't want to miss out on this one! Mark your calendar and gather the gang!

You'll see trucks and big machines that move the earth, as well as classic cars. The farm's fleet of tractors will be on display as well as our recently acquired 1926 Model A Dump Truck.

Take the family on a tractor ride to see our farm friendly animals grazing in their pastures. Meet our heritage breed pigs, Piggly Wiggly and his brothers.

There will be old time tool demonstrations, children's games, tours of the York Cider Mill, historic Jones House and 1810 Tavern tours, and a taste of bread pudding in the 1940s kitchen! Live music by Moose Mountain String Band!

Purchase your lunch, or picnic at our picnic tables overlooking the Old Stage Road. $12 adults; $8 seniors; $6 children ages 4 and up. Blue Star members and Children under 3 are free!

LCHIP Project in the News! Congratulations to all including the Acworth Village Store, recipient of several LCHIP grants.

Trio of local landmarks added to NH Register of Historic Places A Peterborough house-turned-bookshop once destined to be torn down for a parking lot, an Acworth store threatened by recent floods and a distinctive architectural feature of an early 20th-century Harrisville

LCHIP Road Trip! Join Upper S**o Valley Land Trust (USVLT) on Thursday, August 15 to discover why Madison's Chain of Ponds is such a vital conservation project. Email [email protected] to reserve a spot. A 2023 LCHIP grant helped USVLT conserve the diverse 625-acre property, protecting public access for hiking, paddling, hunting, and fishing. Photo by Anne Skidmore Photography.

Beautiful photo of Eccardt Farm Inc.. A grant from LCHIP helped the town preserve this multi-generational family farm.

Happy Sunday evening to all! Hope everyone is enjoying this weather

LCHIP Road Trip! Sutton Old Home Day is on Sunday, August 18th at the South Sutton Meeting House! The Sutton Historical Society received a grant from LCHIP in 2019 for steeple repair work at the 1839 Meeting House.

Old Home Days a Brief History Today Old Home Days are held throughout the U.S., Australia and Canada. The festivities started with one New Hampshire man who came up with the idea in 1897.

LCHIP Project in the News! A much-needed new roof at Tilton School is now protecting the school's irreplaceable rooms. This story appeared in the 2024 issue of Preservation Magazine.

Tilton School is returning an 1860s mansion built for banking magnate Charles Tilton to its original glory. The Tilton, New Hampshire, house’s interior features a mix of styles—Second Empire, Renaissance Revival, Classical Revival, and others—making it “one of New Hampshire’s best eclectic dwellings of the post–Civil War era,” according to its 1982 National Register of Historic Places nomination form.

The private boarding and day school acquired the building at the edge of its campus in the 1960s. Samyn-D’Elia Architects is designing the ongoing renovation, which is expected to cost $5 million provided by both public and private sources. The project began with repairing the roof and stabilizing the Second Empire–style exterior, followed by a full restoration of the first floor, which now houses the school’s United States history program.

Crews rebuilt the central staircase, which had developed a slant. EverGreene Architectural Arts carefully touched up the hand-painted canvas ceiling in the former music room, and general contractor Milestone Engineering & Construction raised a chandelier in the main drawing room about 5 feet for safety reasons. (Legend has it that students swung on it decades ago because it was so low to the ground.)

Lighting added during a 1980s renovation was replaced with period-appropriate fixtures, and the team even found some pocket doors buried in the walls. Though the project’s third phase is still underway, students and faculty can use the building.

“It’s pretty incredible for those kids,” says Kate Saunders, head of school at Tilton. “Abraham Lincoln was president when this home was built, and now they’re learning U.S. history there.”

Pictured: The newly restored drawing room inside the Tilton Mansion.

Photo courtesy Tilton School/Jesse Wolfe

This story appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Preservation magazine.

LCHIP road trip! Join Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust for an all-abilities trail run at Cooley-Jericho Community Forest (CJCF) on August 22. The Cooley family farmed in Sugar Hill for many years and Jericho was a logging community in a remote section of Landaff. Created in 2013, CJCF is the first in the nation four-town community forest. Easton, Franconia, Landaff, and Sugar Hill all supported the project with help from LCHIP, Open Space Institute, NH Moose Plate, and private foundations and donors.

ACT Trail Run — Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust Join ACT for an all-abilities trail run with a focus on beginners - on one of our most popular conserved properties Cooley-Jericho Community Forest, with post-run apps and drinks at Iron Furnace in Franconia! A huge thank you to the Iron Furnace for donating space and appetizers for our runners af

Great news for Portsmouth's Strawbery Banke Museum! LCHIP has assisted with several projects at Strawbery Banke including recent restoration work at the 1750 Penhallow House.

Strawbery Banke Museum becomes first Smithsonian Affiliate in New Hampshire As a Smithsonian Affiliate, Strawbery Banke will serve as New Hampshire's connection to the Smithsonian Institution and its vast array of resources.

And it's already August 2! Click below to get in on all the fun.

NH EATS LOCAL MONTH We Live Free + Eat Local ALL YEAR, but… August is officially NH Eats Local Month! AUGUST 1 – 31 Eating local is a 365, 24/7 celebration in the Granite State. But in August, we pull out …

Rose Mountain Rumble Benefits Local Conservation. Named for the LCHIP-assisted 189‐acre Rose Mountain Preserve project in Lyndeborough, proceeds from this cycling event on August 24 will go to Piscataquog Land Conservancy (PLC). The non-profit PLC land trust serves 26 communities in southern NH and organizes public outings throughout the year. If you are looking for places to hike and explore, visit plcnh.org/recommended-trail-walks.

"He had two mail-order brides, but neither stayed long." This property, known as the "Billy Brown Farm", is in the Quinttown area of Orford, once a thriving farming community with 25 families, saw mills, and a one-room school that closed in 1895. Billy Brown bought the farm in 1915 and was Quinttown's only resident for a long time. Without his stewardship the property would have reverted to forest as the other farms did. A 2015 grant helped Orford Conservation Commission and The Upper Valley Land Trust protect the 149 acres here including shoreline on remote Mason Pond.

LCHIP Project in the News! Weather conditions on the Isles of Shoals provide unique challenges to the preservation of the valuable resources on Star Island. Several LCHIP awards have supported rehabilitation of the island's 1875 Oceanic Hotel.

Star Island bustles with visitors all summer For Chelsea Haskell, communications and program manager for the Star Island Corporation, the island’s real strength isn’t the century-old inn, or the meandering paths along the shoreline, or even the

LCHIP project in the News! With strong community support, the town of Greenfield applied for and received LCHIP funding in 2019 to help pay for an Historic Building Assessment.

Greenfield Meetinghouse project gets $1 million grant Efforts to renovate and restore the historic Greenfield Meetinghouse just received a $1 million boost, as the Town of Greenfield received a forgivable loan in that amount from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority.The CDFA...