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Community Manchester Historic Association Announces Historic Preservation Award Honorees

Cohas Brook Trestle

On Tuesday, May 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Manchester Historic Association (MHA) will hold the 33rd Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony at Derryfield School in Manchester.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate our friends and partners in the community who are doing their part to preserve Manchester’s history,” said MHA Executive Director Jeff Barraclough. “This event recognizes the efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations in Manchester who have made significant contributions to the preservation of that heritage.”

A committee reviewed nominations and selected five individuals, organizations, and businesses for their contributions to the preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, traditions, and other historic resources in Manchester. 2025 honorees include: Richard Soares (Homeowners Award), Lucia Merritt Carlisle (Stewardship Award), City of Manchester Public Works for the Cohas Brook Trestle (Conservation of Natural and Structural Resources Award), First Baptist Church (City Landmark Award), and Antiques on Elm (Conservation of Cultural Resources Award).

“The Awards Ceremony is a lively and exciting event with a very interesting program that highlights the history of the five honorees and how the owners have preserved the history of each property,” said Barraclough.

Tickets for the event, which includes a buffet dinner and cocktail reception, are $100 for MHA members and $125 for general admission. Event proceeds will support events, educational programs, and collection care at Millyard Museum, operated by MHA. Millyard Museum is one of nearly two dozen museums on the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, which is located in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley, and Seacoast.

Click here to learn more about the Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony or purchase tickets.

National Historic Landmark Designated on NH Heritage Museum Trail

The Lucknow Estate (Castle in the Clouds) in Moultonborough, NH

In December, the Lucknow Estate (Castle in the Clouds), a New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail member, was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. This designation is the highest level of Federal recognition for a historic site.

“Having the Lucknow Estate recognized for its exceptional integrity and significance in both architecture and landscape architecture is a testament to the importance of preserving our nation’s history,” said Castle in the Clouds Executive Director Charles Clark. “It is particularly gratifying that our work to preserve, interpret, and share this special place has been recognized.”

Built between 1913 and 1914, the estate initially sat on 6,300 acres and was a retirement retreat for shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant and his wife, Olive Plant. The recent National Historic Landmark designation includes over 5,300 acres protected by partner organizations Castle Preservation Society and the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, making the Lucknow Estate the largest geographical Historic Landmark District in the state.

According to Clark, the road to designation was “an intense process with multiple steps.” The Lucknow Estate is now one of roughly 2,600 National Historic Landmarks in the country and one of 24 in New Hampshire.

“We hope that this designation encourages even more people to visit the Estate and see first-hand the beauty and integrity that make it one of the most special places in the country,” added Clark. “The Castle Preservation Society will continue to strive for the highest level of historic preservation, just as we have since taking over the restoration and operation of the property in 2006.”

Click here to learn more about the Lucknow Estate and its history.

In addition to Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, member institutions on The Trail are located in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley, and Seacoast.

Grant to Fund “Preservation in Action” on NH Heritage Museum Trail

From left – LCHIP Board Chair Richard Lewis, Gov. Chris Sununu, AIM Board President Joe Pace, LCHIP Executive Director Paula Bellemore. Photo credit – Joe Klementovich

The American Independence Museum (AIM), a member of the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, has been awarded a $170,590 matching grant for a major restoration project to preserve the historic Ladd-Gilman House. The grant was awarded by the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP).

Trail President Jeff Barraclough expressed gratitude for LCHIP’s contribution to funding the restoration project. “The Ladd-Gilman House is a historically significant structure in the state,” he said. “This grant will help preserve history and bring awareness to other historic buildings and sites on The Trail.”

Built in 1721 by Nathaniel Ladd as one of the state’s first brick houses, AIM’s Ladd-Gilman House was purchased in 1747 by Daniel Gilman, a prominent Exeter merchant. The Ladd-Gilman House served as the state treasury during the Revolutionary War when two members of the Gilman family, Col. Nicholas Gilman and his son John Taylor Gilman, later the state’s governor, served as state treasurer. The house was also the birthplace of Nicholas Gilman, Jr., a signer of the United States Constitution and a U.S. senator.

“This project is vital for the longevity of the Ladd-Gilman House,” said AIM Interim Executive Director Jennifer Carr. “It ensures that the house is not only visually beautiful for the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 but is well preserved for future generations.”

According to Carr, preservation work will include window restoration, foundation repair, structural work, repairs to doors, jambs, and thresholds, asbestos abatement, and exterior work on damaged clapboards and paint. “I love that we are able to show guests what historic preservation really looks like,” Carr added. “Preservation is part of our mission, but people rarely see all that is involved in keeping centuries-old buildings standing. This project is a wonderful opportunity for guests to see preservation in action.”

Per LCHIP grant guidelines, AIM is required to match each dollar plus at least one additional dollar to fund the project.

Carr noted that people can expect to see exterior renovation work over the next two years.
“As we move toward the nation’s Semiquincentennial, there is an increased opportunity to bring attention to the need to preserve places with ties to the American Revolution,” she said. “This generous grant allows us to do just that.”

In addition to the American Independence Museum in Exeter, member institutions on The Trail are located in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley, and Seacoast.

Several members on NH Heritage Museum Trail make top-10 List

Four museums along the NH Heritage Museum Trail have made the Union Leader’s Top 10 Places for History Lovers. These museums include Wright Museum of World War II, American Independence Museum, Millyard Museum and Canterbury Shaker Village.

Canterbury Shaker Village

Each unique and covering a portion—or nearly all—of various aspects of NH history, the 17 museums that make of the NH Heritage Museum Trail are broken into three three sections—Lakes Region, Seacoast and Merrimack Valley.

Many of these museum are nationally known, including Canterbury Shaker Village in the Merrimack portion of The Trail. Just north of Concord in a 700-acre rural setting with 25 original Shaker buildings, Canterbury is one of the largest and best preserved of some 19 Shaker communities that flourished in this country in the 19th century, according to Susan Bennett, executive director.

“It’s distinguished for being a National Historic Landmark,” she added.

At Canterbury, visitors may tour the Shaker buildings, observe craft demonstrations, and learn about Shaker spirituality and communitarian values. Tour highlights are the distinctive 1792 gambrel-roofed meetinghouse, a large dwelling house, the infirmary building, and shops and mills used for Shaker agriculture and industry.

Michael Culver, executive director of the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro (Lakes Region section) and president of The Trail, said he is excited at the recognition received by member museums.

“There are so many extraordinary things to see, learn about and explore within our museums,” he said. “I am proud The Trail is recognized for that and hopeful visitors can visit every museum in each section. While each museum is different in what it offers, every member provides a first-class, unique look t history itself that is available nowhere else.”

The Wright features more than 14,000 items that commemorate the battlefields and home front from WWII. In the Seacoast Region of The Trail in Exeter, the American Independence Museum educates visitors on Revolutionary history through tours, program and events. Located in the Merrimack Valley Region of The Trail along with Canterbury, the Millyard Museum in Manchester showcases the city’s history of textile mills and offers lectures, tours, concerts and school programs.

In total, there are 17 museums on the NH Heritage Museum Trail. Stops on The Trail include Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Tamworth, and Wolfeboro.