Town Hall Preservation Wins Another Award

North Hampton Town Hall was among the 10 projects recognized earlier this week by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance for outstanding achievement in preservation at its annual announcement ceremony in Concord.

The town was honored for its "outstanding rehabilitation" of the historic Town Hall, which also received a huge national honor recently, during an awards ceremony meant to recognize individuals, organizations and corporations for work or projects in the categories of restoration, rehabilitation and stewardship as well as advocacy, planning and education.

“These awards showcase how investment in community landmarks and forward-thinking education and planning projects not only revive irreplaceable landmarks, but also bring people together, supports local jobs, and advance other community goals,” said Preservation Alliance board member and awards committee chair Paula Cabot in a release about Tuesday's ceremony.

Speaker of the House Terie Norelli also commended the efforts by the various honored entities.

"It is the fantastic work of preservationists across the state that continue to drive that tourism and maintain the beauty of our communities," she said. "When we invest in our communities, the returns are exponential. That applies to infrastructure, education, and preservation. The prosperity of our state relies on these investments, it is the driving force for our success and it will be a defining factor in the lives of our children, grandchildren and their families."

The award winners are:

• Donna Dunn and the Dunbarton Historical Awareness Committee for the outstanding restoration of a cobbler shop
• Milton Town House Committee for the outstanding restoration of the Milton Town House
• Portsmouth Historical Society for the Discover Portsmouth Center
• Newmarket Mills, LLC for the revitalization of the Newmarket Mills
• Town of North Hampton for outstanding rehabilitation of the Town Hall

• Squam National Register of Historic Places Committee, Squam Lakes Conservation Society for Squam Lakes Watershed National Register of Historic Places Initiative
• Gundalow Company for the Piscataqua
• Carolyn Russell, Ronald Jager and Tom Taply in association with the Washington Historical Society for Meetinghouse: The Heart of Washington, New Hampshire documentary film

Merit awards were also given to the Town of Gilmanton for stewardship of the Gilmanton Academy and the Town of Sandwich for the stewardship of the Sandwich Town Hall.

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is the statewide membership organization dedicated to preserving historic buildings, communities and landscapes through leadership, education and advocacy. Current priorities include providing assistance to community leaders and promoting the use of easements, barn preservation and tax incentives.