National Register of Historic Places

Holderness Free Library

Holderness, Grafton County, New Hampshire
Listed
March 7, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85000478

About this property

The Holderness Free Library is the public library of Holderness, New Hampshire. It is located at 866 US Route 3, at its junction with New Hampshire Route 113. The architecturally eclectic building it presently occupies was built in 1909 to a design by Boston architects Fox & Gale, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It was the first purpose-built building for the library, which had occupied private homes and other facilities since its founding in 1893. The Holderness Free Library is located prominently in the village center of Holderness, at the northeast corner of US 3 and New Hampshire 113, on a lot overlooking the Squam River. It is a small single-story masonry building, with a brick exterior on a stone foundation. It is covered by a hip roof with slightly flared eaves, under which are elaborately decorated rafter ends. The brickwork is mostly common bond, with corner quoining and bands of corbelling above the window bays. The entrance is at the center of the symmetrical south-facing front facade, sheltered by a wood-frame vestibule whose entrance has a Classical surround of fluted pilasters and a segmented-arch pediment. The interior is a single large chamber, finished in a variety of woodwork. The library has its beginnings in a private collection established by summer residents in 1878, which was loaned to the public from a private residence. In 1893, the town officially adopted this collection, which was placed in Whitten's General Store. The store (and several other buildings in the village center) were destroyed by fire in 1906, reducing most of the original collection to ashes. Private funds, raised mainly from wealthy summer residents, paid for the construction of this building, which was completed in 1909 to a design by the Boston firm of Fox & Gale. The building is one of the architecturally most eclectic in the New Hampshire Lakes Region, exhibiting a harmonious combination of Classical, Colonial Revival, and Victorian elements. National Register of Historic Places listings in Grafton County, New Hampshire

Location

Holderness, Grafton County, New Hampshire
43.73210, -71.58775

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Holderness Inn
Industrial
0.1 mi
North Holderness Freewill Baptist Church-Holderness Historical Society Building
Industrial
1.8 mi
Camp Ossipee
Industrial
2 mi
Webster Estate
Listed
2.4 mi
Chocorua Island Chapel
Listed
2.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Holderness Free Library listed on the National Register?

Holderness Free Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Holderness Free Library?

Holderness Free Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Holderness Free Library?

The period of significance for Holderness Free Library is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Holderness Free Library?

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