Meet You At The Meetinghouse

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

If you lived in a community in rural New Hampshire many years ago, you probably worshipped or attended town gatherings at a meetinghouse.

These buildings (meetinghouses) were deemed necessary for each possible settlement. To be granted a charter for a township, such a building was necessary if anyone wanted to receive a grant to settle.

In colonial times, religion ruled the lives of nearly every family. In each community, most meetinghouses served as churches, whether overseen by a minister or a group of citizens. The meetinghouses that are still standing today are quite old and have been renovated over the years. No matter the style or age, the meetinghouses offer a glimpse into the distant past architecturally and for their uses, whether religious or town business.

Times were rough long ago and getting lumber for a meetinghouse was difficult. Thus, many meetinghouses were made of logs and modest in size, according to “Colonial Meeting-Houses of New Hampshire” by Eva A. Speare.

At first, a simple meetinghouse structure was deemed acceptable, but over the years that changed to more ornate buildings as a town grew and the population expanded.

Building a meetinghouse was a big deal, and every able-bodied person in town participated. Socializing was part of the project, with picnics and families in attendance to watch as the men built the new meetinghouse. (It was said that “rum” was a big part of every project!) Timbers were hefty, and the men jostled for the prestige of being the strongest and most able to lift the bulkiest logs.

In New Hampton, the Dana Hill Meetinghouse was named for Dr. Simeon Dana, who arrived in the town in the early 1800s. After attending Dartmouth College, Dana was equipped to serve as a physician and, oddly enough, he also offered singing and dancing lessons. It is unknown how many of his patients took Dana up on his musical instruction, but he became a well-known doctor at that time. He also embraced the Methodist religion and eventually became an ordained minister. Dana Hill was named after the doctor who lived near the top of the hill.

Near Laconia, the Province Road Meeting House was built in 1792 on Province Road in Belmont. The building resembled a church and was at first used by Congregationalists. Around 1820, it was used by the Free Will Baptist Church. The original structure was 52 by 40 feet with a south-facing entrance and box pews. In the mid-1800s, the height of the building was reduced. In the early 1900s, the pulpit was auctioned off, and a belfry was added in 1910.

Elsewhere in the Lakes Region, the Barnstead Parade Meetinghouse/Church was mostly used by the townspeople for religious services. In 1796, Eli Bunker furnished the town with a place for a meetinghouse. The building was finished outside and painted yellow. It was used for some community meetings but was mainly used for worship. Town meetings were held in the building for 24 years upon completion. Once a minister was hired, it was a church with weekly services.

An unusual and rustically pretty meetinghouse was built in New Durham in 1770. The meetinghouse is located on Old Bay Road, which at one time was the town center. The first settlers arrived in what is now New Durham in the early 1760s and the community was eventually incorporated in 1762. Building and settlement in the area were curtailed, however, during the French and Indian War; the meetinghouse would not see any community gatherings until the 1770s.

The meetinghouse in New Durham is in the Type II style, two stories high, and built on a vast rock ledge. (This makes the building easily recognizable today). For some years, the meetinghouse offered religious services by Congregational minister Reverend Nathaniel Porter. Another minister, Benjamin Randall, followed Porter’s years of service, and he spread the Free Will Baptist religion around the area. Eventually, the Free Will Baptists built their own church and ceased using the old meetinghouse.

At that point, the meetinghouse saw only very occasional use and was cut down to a reasonable size in 1838. After the town shifted the majority of its population elsewhere, the meetinghouse was not used and was sold for storage of farm animals.

In 2017 it was renovated, and although the building has changed over the years, it is an architectural gem.

The Quakers started a population in New Hampshire many years ago, and a meetinghouse in North Sandwich was one of their finest in construction. Built in 1881, it was home to the Sandwich Society of Friends. About 50 members called Sandwich home in the 1770s, and that population grew over the years. According to “Historic Meetinghouses and Churches of New Hampshire” by Glenn A. Knoblock, the original meetinghouse for the Quakers was in Center Sandwich.

Quakers living in outlying areas built the North Sandwich Meeting House to solve the problem of a place to worship closer to their homes. It is a historical building that is accurate to its period and a good example of a place of worship in a country setting.

Wolfeboro is an old town in the Lakes Region and, as such, it has many buildings reflecting its history. The former Wolfeborough, Brookfield, and Wakefield Meetinghouse in the Cotton Mountain region of the town was a rural church. It served as a replacement for an 1801 meetinghouse situated nearby. The structure’s architecture is in keeping with its time, as it was built in the 1850s. Although simple in design, it is a beautiful example of the Greek Revival style.

In the early days of settlement in New Hampshire, meetinghouses served many purposes. Whether for a place to gather for political discussions, socializing, town meetings, or, more often, religious services, meetinghouses were important. We are fortunate that some of those structures survive to this day, offering a look into the distant past.