National Register of Historic Places

Pottersville District

Harrisville, Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Listed
December 29, 1986
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
86003096

About this property

The Pottersville District encompasses the earliest non-Native settlement in Harrisville, New Hampshire, as well as sites of some of the town's earliest industrial activities. The 93-acre (38 ha) district includes forty buildings and two archaeological sites, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Pottersville area was settled in the 1760s by migrants from Massachusetts. One house, built c. 1765, survives in the district from this time. The oldest church in Harrisville, now the Chesham Community Church, was built in 1797 by a Baptist congregation, and the town's oldest surviving schoolhouse, built 1840, stands next to the church. There are foundational remnants of early sawmills and gristmills, also built in the 1790s, near the outlet of Russell Reservoir. The area's most significant industrial history, however, is in pottery works that were established by 1795 and reached their height in the 1810s. As many as twelve pottery works operated in the area, supplying wares to a fairly wide region in central New England. All of these had failed to do increased competition by about 1860, and only industrial archaeological remains survive. At least two sites have been identified where waste materials from pottery works were dumped, and several kiln and workshop sites have been investigated. The Pottersville District is a roughly rectangular area following Chesham and Brown Roads in southwestern Harrisville. Its western boundary is 100 feet (30 m) west of the junction of Chesham and Old Marlboro Roads, its eastern boundary is at a point on Brown Road roughly parallel to the eastern end of Russell Reservoir, and its northern and southern boundaries extend 350 feet (110 m) north and south from the line of the two roads.

Location

Harrisville, Cheshire County, New Hampshire
42.92979, -72.14238

Categories

INDUSTRYHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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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
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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
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Chesham Village District
Listed
0.4 mi
Needham House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Bemis, Elbridge G., House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Bemis, George, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Smith-Mason Farm
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pottersville District listed on the National Register?

Pottersville District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Pottersville District?

Pottersville District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pottersville District?

The period of significance for Pottersville District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Pottersville District?

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