Mont Vernon’s Old Meetinghouse listed in the National Register of Historic Places

The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources has announced that the United States Secretary of the Interior has listed Mont Vernon’s Old Meetinghouse in the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and for its service to the community both as a center for town functions and as a place of worship.

More commonly referred to as the Mont Vernon Town Hall and located in the center of one of the few hilltop villages in New Hampshire, Mont Vernon’s Old Meetinghouse was originally built in 1781-82 to serve dual purposes – as a church and as a town meeting location.

It was moved across the street to its current location in 1837. Around that time period, several renovations to the building were made, including clearly delineating the church sanctuary and the town office areas as a way of complying with New Hampshire’s Toleration Act of 1819, which required the separation of church and state. 

Though originally built as a Georgian-era twin-porch meetinghouse, the building today displays various elements of the Greek Revival style added during the 1837 renovation, including a broad gable front with closed pediment, a bell tower, and simple door and window surrounds.

The two-stage bell tower’s square base houses a mechanical clock installed nearly 100 years later, in 1915. It is topped by an octagonal belfry and has a dome copper roof with a decorative weathervane.

Greek Revival style first rose in popularity following the War of 1812. It became the dominant style between 1830 and 1850 and was used throughout New England in both religious and civic buildings as well as domestic architecture.

As a result of the 1837 alterations, the building today reflects a typical early 19th century rural New England meetinghouse.

In 1897, further renovations were made when the building began to be used solely for town business, including replacing the east and west entrances with a single central entrance; adding a dining room, selectmen’s room and kitchen on the first floor; and transforming the second floor sanctuary into an auditorium with stage and a ticket window.

Today, above the double doors the year “1781” is displayed in carved wooden numbers painted black. “Town Hall” and “Prospect Grange No. 21” are displayed below that in similarly carved letters, also painted black. 

Mont Vernon’s Old Meetinghouse retains many of its interior historic features from its 19th century renovations, including plaster walls, wood floors, triple beadboard wainscotting and beadboard ceilings.

In addition to being the site of religious and town functions for more than two centuries, the building was used as a school; as host to Lady’s Home Circle, Wednesday Club, Camp Fire Girls, Boy Scouts, various 4-H clubs and more; and as the site for a variety of Prospect Grange No. 21’s events.

The building currently houses town offices on the first floor and the Mont Vernon Historical Society Museum on the second.

Administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of historic resources worthy of preservation and is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect our historic and archaeological resources.

Listing to the National Register does not impose any new or additional restrictions or limitations on the use of private or non-federal properties. Listings identify historically significant properties and can serve as educational tools and increase heritage tourism opportunities. The rehabilitation of National Register-listed commercial or industrial buildings may qualify for certain federal tax provisions.

In New Hampshire, listing to the National Register makes applicable property owners eligible for grants such as the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program or LCHIP (lchip.org) and the Conservation License Plate Program (nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov/grants-incentives/conservation-license-plate-grant-program).

For more information on the National Register program in New Hampshire, please visit nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov or contact the Division of Historical Resources at 603-271-3583. 

New Hampshire's Division of Historical Resources, the State Historic Preservation Office, was established in 1974 and is part of the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. NHDHR’s mission is to preserve and celebrate New Hampshire’s irreplaceable historic resources through programs and services that provide education, stewardship, and protection. For more information, visit us online at nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov or by calling 603-271-3483.

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