Put NH historic sites on your itinerary and celebrate Historic Preservation Month

The N.H. Division of Historical Resources is encouraging history fans to visit three different state-owned historic sites as a way of celebrating “May is Historic Preservation Month.”

The DHR has selected the three sites from 16 operated by N.H. State Parks’ Bureau of Historic Sites statewide. They are:

-    Endicott Rock, Laconia; perhaps the oldest public monument in New England, names of government officials and surveyors were inscribed on it and dated August 1, 1652
-    Fort Dearborn at Odiorne Point State Park, Rye; part of a chain of coastal defenses that protected Portsmouth Harbor and the Naval Shipyard during World War II
-    Nansen Ski Jump, Milan; the largest ski jump in the eastern United States for more than fifty years and the site of the first U.S. ski jump Olympic trials in 1938.

Each site can be enjoyed on a self-guided basis; there are no scheduled tours. Reservations aren’t required but are recommended for Fort Dearborn due to limited parking availability at Odiorne Point State Park.

To enhance their experience, visitors are encouraged to download activity sheets by visiting the DHR’s website, nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov, and clicking on “May is Historic Preservation Month” in the QuickLinks box on the right. Each sheet includes a short crossword puzzle, activities to make visitors’ time there more engaging and facts about the site itself. A visit to the historic site isn’t needed to complete most activities.

Both the DHR and N.H. State Parks’ Bureau of Historic Sites are part of the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. They often work together on projects that not only preserve New Hampshire’s historic resources but also raise awareness of their importance.

Begun as National Preservation Week in 1973, Preservation Month was extended to all of May by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2005 in an effort to provide greater opportunity to explore historic heritage.

New Hampshire's Division of Historical Resources, the State Historic Preservation Office, was established in 1974 and is part of the NH 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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