Laconia's St. Joseph Church lands on Seven to Save list

CONCORD — The St. Joseph Church building in Laconia led the Seven to Save list announced Tuesday by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, which uses the list to highlight vulnerable historic buildings and resources. 

Also making the list was the Tilton Island Park Bridge.

All of the listees need transformative investment to become viable community assets again and “we need these places to survive and thrive,” said Nicholas Mitchell, chair of the Preservation Alliance board of directors. “These landmarks are the heart and soul of our daily life and feel even more important during these uncertain times,” he said.

In a news release announcing the 2020 Seven to Save roster, the Alliance wrote of St. Joseph: "Although recent community pressure has postponed this downtown landmark’s demolition, its future is uncertain after two parishes combined and left this imposing 1881 granite structure vacant. Built to serve the city’s Irish-Catholic immigrant population, generations remember the many masses, weddings, and funerals that took place here, and are hoping for a solution with the Catholic Diocese of Manchester that will allow a compatible re-use rather than destruction."

The diocese has an application pending for a permit to demolish the church, even after the city entered a purchase and sale agreement with the diocese to purchase the structures on either side of the church building – the vacant building that most recently housed the Holy Trinity School, and the Busiel House, which has served as a rectory. Keeping the demolition application alive was a condition of the diocese entering into the purchase and sale agreement, city officials said.

The Seven to Save list describes Tilton Island Park Bridge this way: "This graceful arch over the Winnipesaukee River, connecting Main Street to Tilton Island Park, is one of the town’s many gifts from wealthy benefactor Charles E. Tilton. A rare example of a combination cast-iron and wrought-iron truss bridge, it needs careful evaluation and repair in order to remain an asset for Tilton citizens and visitors, linking the downtown to a much-used public park, and helping to stem the tide of metal truss bridge loss statewide."

Also landing on the list were New Hampshire's Main Streets: "Main streets across the state, vital to our economic and social well-being, are vulnerable and essential. COVID’s restrictions and changes have magnified the challenges they face —from theaters to sacred places to retail, dining and lodging establishments. Main street investment, especially in historic buildings and streetscapes, provides more property tax dollars per square foot than new construction. And it helps define communities, encourage community pride and engagement, attract families and tourists, and foster creative expression. 

Preservation Alliance leaders also emphasized that our small towns and historic buildings give our state its distinctive and appealing character.  “The mix of old and new building stock, as well as the design and scale of historic main street buildings, attract varied ages and types of people, help incubate small businesses and create attachments to communities that boost economic vitality,” said Jennifer Goodman, the Preservation Alliance’s executive director.

Others on the list were:

• The Judge Ripley House in Colebrook, an 1870 Greek Revival residence that thas facing demolition before its purchase by the Canaan School District Building Construction & Restoration Carpentry program.

• Langdon Congregational Church in Langdon, an 1842 Greek and Gothic Revival building that the alliance called a crucial step in maintaining the historic village center of this tiny rural community.

• Mont Vernon Town Hall, which was built in 1781 from oak timbers supplied by local farmers, then moved across the street and expanded with a second story. It is a "center of civic life and home to town offices," the Alliance said, and it needs a major investment to keep it viable for public use. 

• Gasholder Building in Concord: This distinctive round brick building with its tilting cupola, a landmark along I-93, has been vacant for decades. Current owner Liberty Utilities plans to apply for a demolition permit by the end of this year.  Redoubling efforts to find an alternative, a city committee is exploring preservation and reuse options to save this rare survivor from the days of gas lighting. It is considered the last of its kind in the country, with its inner gas storage mechanisms intact.

Since 2006, the Preservation Alliance's Seven to Save has helped attract attention and resources to irreplaceable landmarks around the state. Progress with the Chandler House in Manchester and the rescue of the Gale School in Belmont are two recent successes. More than half are considered out of danger or saved. Many owners and advocates for the former listees used the designation to help develop new solutions and secure new investments. Many places are in the process of rehabilitation, while others continue to need significant additional help. A few have been lost.  Criteria for selection include: historical significance, imminence of threat, and potential impact of listing a site.  

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is the statewide membership organization dedicated to preserving historic buildings, communities and landscapes through education and advocacy.  For more information, visit www.nhpreservation.org.