Tilton mansion, foot bridge win LCHIP grant funding

TILTON — The architecturally important Island Park Bridge and the eclectic Charles E. Tilton Mansion, a pair of 19th Century structures on the National Register of Historic Places, are among 32 recipients of $4.1 million in grants from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program.

A grant of $17,000 will allow the town to assess the condition of the 1881 bridge, which has a patented cast and wrought iron truss design that was once popular but now is rare. 

The footbridge spans the Winnipesaukee River, connecting Main Street to Tilton Island, a popular spot for summer concerts. 

A $180,000 grant will go to the Tilton School to protect and restore the mansion now used as the school’s library and art center. It also includes guest rooms.

The money will help pay for extensive work on its mansard roof, a type of structure that has two slopes on every side. The Masiello Family Foundation is matching the LCHIP funds for this project. 

“We’re excited by LCHIP’s investment in the Charles E. Tilton Mansion.” said David Thiel, head of school. “We know how important the mansion is to the town and its history, and this grant will help Tilton School and preserve the mansion for the benefit of the entire community, both on campus and off.” 

The mansion is named for the banker and philanthropist for whom the town was named. Born and raised in Sanbornton, Tilton supplied prospectors in the California Gold Rush and built a fortune in merchandising, banking, real estate, shipping and railroads.

The three-story wood frame building was built in the early 1860s, with two-story wings extending to the sides of the main portion. The interior is an eclectic mix of Second Empire, Renaissance and Classical Revival elements.

LCHIP funds will support projects in nine of the state’s 10 counties.  

Grant recipients are required to raise a minimum of one dollar for each dollar provided by LCHIP. This year’s awards of $4.1 million will be matched by nearly $18 million that the project proponents will raise from other public and private sources.

The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program is an independent state authority created by the legislature in 2000.  

Other 2020 LCHIP grant recipients:

— Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, $75,000, Northfield, Stillhouse Forest.

— Lakes Region Community Developers, $21,000, Belmont, Gale School Planning Study.

— Canterbury Shaker Village, $23,000, planning study.