Barns in agriculture talk at Gilmanton Historical Society

GILMANTON — The Gilmanton Historical Society will offer its next program on Tuesday, July 28, at 6 p.m. The evening will feature a barn tour and a presentation by John Porter on how barns tell the history of New Hampshire agriculture. 

The program will be held at the former Twigg barn, 245 Meetinghouse Road. The barn and surrounding property are now owned by the town through a conservation easement held by Five Rivers Conservation Trust, due to efforts of the Gilmanton Land Trust.

Outside following the tour, Porter will tell present on The History of New Hampshire Agriculture as told by Barns. Porter has written a book on barns and is considered an expert. Participants should bring a folding chair.

The historical society’s summer series will continue Tuesday, Aug. 25, with History of Gilmanton’s Kitchen Family. Wendy Berlind, a descendent of the Kitchens, will tell about how the family helped shape the history of Gilmanton Corners in the late 1800s. Coming from East Orange, N.J., the Kitchens were one of the first families to help make Gilmanton a summer destination.

Learn about the History of Jones Mill with Jim Garvin on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Garvin, a retired architectural historian, will present new research on the history of the Jones family and the mill complex they developed at the junction of Loon Pond and Meadow Pond roads. With dams and buildings, the Jones family produced a wide variety of products, from shingles to wooden clothes dryers.

The society’s museum, located in the basement of Old Town Hall, is open through August, 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday mornings.

Rain date for the program is Friday, July 29. With questions, call 603-267-6098.