National Register of Historic Places

Canaaan Meetinghouse

Canaan, Grafton County, New Hampshire
Listed
March 23, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001598

About this property

The Canaan Meetinghouse is a historic meeting house on Canaan Street in Canaan, New Hampshire. Built in 1794, with some subsequent alterations, it is a good example of a Federal period meeting house, serving as a center of town civic and religious activity for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and included in the Canaan Street Historic District the following year. The building is still owned by the town, and is available for rent. The Canaan Meetinghouse is located at the southwest corner of Canaan Street and Apple Blossom Road, overlooking Canaan Street Lake to the east. It is a 2½-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. A square tower projects from the short front side, rising 53 feet (16 m) to a clock stage and open octagonal belfry. The current main entrance is at the base of the tower, framed by pilasters and a corniced entablature; the original main entrance is located at the center of the long south side, with a slightly simpler surround. The interior is outfitted with bench pews, a replacement for the original box pews, and the gallery level has been covered over to provide a full second story. The Federal-style building was constructed for use as a church in the mid-1790s. It was also used for town meetings from an early date, and was purchased by the town in 1829, at which time it was reoriented to have the entrance on the short end. Originally built with projecting stairwells on the short sides, one of the stairwells was mounted on top of the other to create the tower after the town bought the building. In 1841 the upper gallery was converted to a full second floor, intended for use as a church space by the local Baptist congregation. National Register of Historic Places listings in Grafton County, New Hampshire Media related to Canaan Meetinghouse at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Canaan, Grafton County, New Hampshire
43.66463, -72.04307

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Canaaan Meetinghouse

This page lists Canaaan Meetinghouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Canaaan Meetinghouse report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Canaan Street Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Enfield Village Historic District
Listed
4.6 mi
Hewitt House
Industrial
5.4 mi
Enfield Shaker Historic District
Listed
6 mi
Enfield Center Town House
Early Republic
6.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Canaaan Meetinghouse listed on the National Register?

Canaaan Meetinghouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 23, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Canaaan Meetinghouse?

Canaaan Meetinghouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Canaaan Meetinghouse?

The period of significance for Canaaan Meetinghouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Canaaan Meetinghouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Canaaan Meetinghouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Grafton County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Grafton County.

Explore GraftonCounty ›

More historic places in New Hampshire

Browse all historic places in New Hampshire.

View New Hampshirehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New Hampshire history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Hampshirehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Canaaan Meetinghouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report