Freedom – October 13, 2008 — Freedom is a jewel of a town that has remained so through the care and concern of its government and the legacy of the homes and farms lovingly cared for by various owners through the years.
How will a future Freedom be affected by today’s Freedom residents? Should town residents be doing anything differently as they consider the stewardship of their beloved town?
To address some of these questions, a group of local citizens has invited the N.H. Preservation Alliance, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the N.H Division of Historical Resources to Freedom for a public information meeting to discuss ways to conserve the past and plan for the future of the town’s historic buildings and sites.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd at 7 p.m. in Freedom’s Town Hall, and all members of the community are encouraged to attend.
Maggie Stier of the N.H. Preservation Alliance and Nadine Peterson of the National Trust for Historic Preservation will present a program explaining the benefits of preserving historic buildings and discuss strategies that are commonly used and how such efforts can bring economic and social benefits to a community.
The discussion will include regulatory and voluntary tools such Heritage Commissions and Historic Districts, as well as various funding opportunities for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. In addition to free publications, the handbook Preserving Community Character will be available for purchase.
Ms. Stier has worked in the cultural resources field for over 30 years, managing historic buildings and collections, and developing educational and interpretive programs for many different interest groups. She also manages the Seven to Save program, an annual list of the most endangered historic properties in the state, and co-ordinates annual workshops and retreats for groups such as historic district commissions, historic church congregations, and municipal volunteers.
The program that will be presented in Freedom on October 22nd was created in 2006 to provide one-on-one coaching, technical assistance and preservation advice to communities throughout the state.
Ms. Peterson oversees federally funded and permitted project reviews and assists agencies in determining the impact to historic resources. She also works directly with the N.H. Heritage and Historic District Commissions on community preservation projects, helping them implement best practices in historic preservation.
Locally, the N.H. Division of Historical Resources presence has already been felt with their help 15 years ago bringing Freedom’s Town Hall into compliance with the latest building codes. N.H. Preservation Alliance has also been involved in the successful restoration of the Ossipee Court House, now used by the Ossipee Historical Society, and the Whittier Bridge.
Coffee and refreshments will be served during the meeting. For more information, call Lee Fritz at 603-539-4868.