Belmont's historic Gale School building nears reopening, as renovations are half completed

BELMONT — The historic Gale School requires a second look, now that contractors are 40% through the structure’s renovations, part of a larger historical preservation project going back nearly two decades.

It could be said the school has been given a new lease on life, something won by concerned citizens of Belmont, Save Our Gale School, or SOGS, committee members, elected leaders, and others.

The building, erected in 1894 on School Street, is largely the same. Its idyllic bell tower still looms atop the two-story, wood-framed building with its steep gabled roof. Only now, it sits on a different plot of land on Concord Street, its white paint primer popping and visible from Route 106.

On a windy, yet sunny, day in October, The Laconia Daily Sun visited the new site of the Gale School. Backlit, the former school shone in all its quintessential New England glory as members of SOGS, Lakes Region Community Developers, project managers with JH Spain, and architects with WarrenStreet Architects took turns sharing their roles in the preservation efforts.

The 10-month long construction job is a sight to behold, and The Daily Sun got a tour of the property, learning of its relocation history and the collaborative approach used to save such an iconic building.

Generations of education

Generations of residents received their education in Gale School classrooms, playtime taking part in the front schoolyard.

Built in 1894, and named for Napoleon Gale, the distinctive stick-style school sat prominently for years downtown.

According to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance website, its “prominence faded over the years as the Gale School yard became home to additional school buildings: a brick high school in 1937, then a middle school in 1955, then additions to the high school in 1971. A new elementary school in 1985 and a new high school in 1997 finally ended the Gale School’s usefulness by the school district.”

The Shaker Regional School District absorbed the building into the fold, but as infrastructure needs changed on the property, so did the need for the Gale School building as a whole.

An ultimatum was eventually issued: The school district would contribute $70,000 toward the relocation of the Gale School, but it had to be completed by August 2019. Otherwise, the building would be demolished.

“It was in the middle of the other school buildings. So they used the land for parking or the playground, but they wanted a bus turn,” said Kenneth Knowlton, vice chair of SOGS.

According to the SOGS’ Project Description, “The Gale School must be moved off School District property no later than August of 2019; therefore, the need for funding is urgent and immediate.”

The cost of relocating the school included temporary relocation of utilities over Route 106, a down payment on a suitable site, and the cost of concrete and rebar for the foundation — all to the tune of $411,000.

With commitment pledges and a NH Land and Community Heritage Investment Program grant of $110,000, SOGS had a major fundraising endeavor ahead of them as they looked to raise the remaining $160,000.

‘Labor of love’

Soggies, as SOGS members like to refer to themselves, have worked for decades to preserve the historic Gale School. Originally part of the Belmont Historical Society, the group eventually became its own operational nonprofit, focusing solely on the Gale School and its legacy in the community.

“This has been a labor of love for a whole bunch of people,” said Sal Steven-Hubbard, senior real estate developer with LRCD. “We were happy to be able to participate in that.”

Many readers may remember beloved community member Diane Marden, who died in May 2023. As chair of SOGS, she worked tirelessly to push for the preservation of the 131-year-old school building. She helped spearhead massive fundraising efforts for the committee, joined by the likes of Knowlton and Treasurer Brenda Paquette.

Both Knowlton and Paquette were onsite during the tour, as was SOGS member Woody Fogg. The desire to restore the legacy of the building was palpable.

According to financial reports provided by Paquette, SOGS logged an income of $248,722.68 made up of grants, donations and monies earned through fundraisers. In total, they spent $242,382.63 — with lots of donated labor and materials — leaving a cash balance of $6,440.05.

Ceremoniously, SOGS, along with the help of Lakes Region Community Developers, paid $1 for the school. A commemorative coin still hangs today in the school district’s office.

During the physical relocation of the building from the Shaker property to Concord Street in 2020, a lone fire hydrant almost upended the entire thing.

Contractors were able to “finagle” their way around the hydrant by mere inches. It was a whole production, with drones flying overhead and machine operators narrowly missing a catastrophe on a steep, 17% grade hill.

A 10-month job site

With funding secured, renovations to the historic school began at the beginning of July, after sitting untouched for quite some time. Reconstruction is supposed to be complete in April 2026.

Project Manager Joe Jackson with JH Spain, a Concord-based commercial construction management company, was able to get the building winterized before the first snowfall. He’s happy with the progress his team has made, and glad to be part of such a positive project.

“This kind of project is right up our alley. We love doing feel-good projects, community-based projects,” said Jackson, a former resident of Belmont. “Throughout the bidding process, we had a handful of [subcontractors] share stories from their family members going to the Gale School. A lot of them really just wanted to be a part of the project, and part of the history, and the next chapter of the building. So, it's really fun hearing all the stories.”

A lead abatement process was conducted on the exterior paint, bringing the building up to code so it could be primed. An accessible entrance has been added at the rear of the structure, along with the shaft for an elevator to the second floor, and the framing steel for a stairwell.

At the front of the building, the original stairwell was preserved, along with the original Gale School sign.

Inside the building, walls were framed and windows were covered in plastic, as they needed to be resized to match. Structural steel was added throughout.

Special woodworkers were hired to replicate the 1894 flooring, and patch-worn areas are being refinished as needed.

The crews hit a few hiccups over the summer due to the sandy and muddy nature of the parking lot. Lifts and machinery often sunk into the ground, needing to be stabilized and slowing down production. Getting it paved was a lifesaver, Jackson said.

“This was a dust bowl here, all sand. You dig down eight feet, it's nothing but sand. We worked our butts off, but it was a real pain because the ground being so sandy. Getting the lifts on and off of around the building; they were constantly sinking,” Jackson said.

“We were wetting the ground down to try and keep the dust down.”

Future forward

As spring starts, the Gale School renovations will eventually conclude, and Lakes Region Community Services will open a satellite office on the second floor, while the Lakes Region Boys & Girls Club sets up a day care center on the first floor.

Lakes Region Community Developers, which spends a portion of its focus on providing space for social services currently insufficient in the area, will continue to own the building.

“We raised the funds to do this. And so, as soon as it's done, we will continue to own it, but we'll sublease it to the Boys & Girls Club and Lakes Region Community Services,” said Steven-Hubbard.

The property is eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I got involved because I was at a meeting, and poor Diane was standing up in front of the illustrious [school district], and you know, and she's trying to explain to them what the significance of the building is, and how important it is,” Knowlton said. “Those people ... all they cared about was razing it. That's all they wanted to do was tear it down.

“So I said, I might as well get in there and piss some people off. So what we did is, we finally won. God, that was wonderful, wasn't it?”

To stay up-to-date on the Gale School’s renovation journey, visit belmontnh.gov.

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Kiera Moynihan contributed to this story. Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.