Lempster Meetinghouse

Coordinates: 43°14′20″N 72°12′38″W / 43.23889°N 72.21056°W

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Lempster Meetinghouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


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Location	Lempster St., Lempster, New Hampshire
Coordinates	43°14′20″N 72°12′38″W / 43.23889°N 72.21056°W / 43.23889; -72.21056
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1794 (1794)
Architect	Bingham, James; Frink, Elijah
Architectural style	Rural Twin Porch
NRHP reference No.	80000319^[1]
Added to NRHP	September 08, 1980

The Lempster Meetinghouse, formerly Union Hall, is a historic meeting house and church on Lempster Street in Lempster, New Hampshire. Built in 1794 to serve multiple Christian congregations, it is now a multifunction space owned by the town. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.^[1]

Description and history

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The former Lempster Meetinghouse stands in the town's village center, on the east side of Lempster Street near its junction with Allen Road and North Pitkin Road. It is a two-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is fronted by a projecting square tower, which rises through multiple stages to an open belfry with arched openings, and an octagonal cupola. The right side houses what was originally its main entrance, set centrally on the seven-bay facade.^[2]

The meetinghouse was built in 1794, and is one of a modest number of New England meeting houses to survive from the 18th century, and one of a very small number with twin porches. It was built at town expense, serving as both a town hall and church until 1822. At that time it was divested of its religious functions and moved about 1 mile (1.6 km) to its present location. The upper gallery level was extended to create a second floor, and the box pews and pulpit were removed. A bell tower was added (with a Revere bell hung in 1824). It has since then served a variety of community functions, include Grange activities, the local library, a high school academy, and a local theatrical company.^[2]

References

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^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ ^a ^b "NRHP nomination for Lempster Meetinghouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-07-05.

v t e National Register of Historic Places in Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Landmarks	Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site Salmon P. Chase Birthplace
Districts	Central Business District Charlestown Main Street Historic District Lower Village District Monadnock Mills Newport Downtown Historic District North Charlestown Historic District Washington Common Historic District
Buildings	Acworth Silsby Library Backside Inn Blow-Me-Down Grange Charlestown Town Hall Claremont City Hall Claremont Warehouse No. 34 Farwell School Little Red School House 1835 District No. 7 Meriden Town Hall Mothers' and Daughters' Club House Plainfield Town Hall Protectworth Tavern Richards Free Library Richards, Dexter, & Sons Woolen Mill Sullivan County Courthouse Town Hall and Courthouse Unity Town Hall
Houses	Burford House Capt. John Gunnison House Cote House Covit House David Dexter House Durham House Garber House Giffin House Isaac Reed House Janicke House Knights-Morey House Lear House Louis St. Gaudens House and Studio Nettleton House Pike House Purnell House Scranton House Seavey House Stelljes House Welcome Acres William Rossiter House Williamson House Windswept Acres-Powers House
Places of worship	Acworth Congregational Church English Church First Baptist Church of Cornish First Universalist Chapel Langdon Meeting House Lempster Meetinghouse South Congregational Church Springfield Town Hall and Howard Memorial Methodist Church Trinity Church
Site	Hunter Archeological Site
Structures	Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge Cold River Bridge Corbin Covered Bridge Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge‡ Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge Kenyon Bridge Meriden Bridge Pier Bridge Prentiss Bridge Wright's Bridge
Footnotes	‡ This historic property also has portions in an adjacent state. Entries in italics have been removed from the register.
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Sullivan County, New Hampshire and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire

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