Chase's Mill in Alstead Receives $100,000 Grant from New Hampshire's LCHIP
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L to R: LCHIP Board Chair Doug Cole, Margaret Perry, Dan Bartlett, Governor Maggie Hassan, Helen Frink, LCHIP Executive Director Dijit Taylor, Bob Brown.
Alstead, NH - Dec. 19, 2016 - The New Hampshire Land Heritage and Community Investment Program (LCHIP) earlier this month announced it has awarded a $100,000 matching grant to Alstead's Mill Hollow Heritage Association (MHHA), according to Sharon Spaulding, president of MHHA.
In celebrating the award in Concord on Dec. 8th, Gov. Maggie Hassan observed, "The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program is critical to protecting our natural, historical and cultural resources, and I am proud that we restored funding for LCHIP in 2013 and maintained that commitment in our current bipartisan budget.
"For every dollar invested by LCHIP, we see a significant return on investment through the economic activity generated by those conservation efforts. This year's grants will support important projects across the state that will preserve our natural beauty and protect our rich history and vibrant culture."
Commenting on the award, Ms. Spaulding said, "We are honored to be among the recipients, especially considering the many important projects this program helps to fund throughout the state. Together with the generosity and support of the community, this grant will help to fund the first critical phase of work at Chase's Mill.
"Our vision is to renovate the structure and reopen as a living museum and makerspace / workshop in 2020 providing hands-on educational experiences for children and adults," she continued. "We will host exhibits on the history of mills in New England, along with exhibits on the future of sustainable energy sources. In the tradition of the Mill's former owners, MHHA will host classes for adults and children and serve as a community meeting center."
Situated at the mouth of Lake Warren in East Alstead, Chase's Mill is one of just nine remaining water-powered woodworking mills in the state. Money will be used to stabilize the Mill's foundation and replace the roof, as well perform repairs to the building's exterior.
Named for former owner Heman Chase (1901-1988) it was built by architect Hartley Dennett a century ago reusing materials from the previous mill. Warren Brook has powered a mill at this site since 1767. During the years in which the Mill was owned by Dennett and Chase, it became a hub of a self-sustaining community, offering neighbors power and space to thresh grain and saw firewood. Upstairs a large fireplace room hosted dances, political discussions, social gatherings, and Quaker meetings for worship.
Chase welcomed neighborhood children into his workshop to learn woodworking skills and to foster their creativity. Several of his former pupils now contribute labor and financial support to bring the Mill back to life. The Mill Hollow Heritage Association will open the Mill to the public by 2020, transmitting its history of rural industry to future generations and offering them the tools and inspiration for continued innovation.
In July 2016, Chase's Mill was named to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places and in October 2016, MHHA purchased the property. In 2015 MHHA received a grant from New Hampshire's Preservation Alliance to assess the building's condition.
Chase's Mill is one of 35 projects awarded funding in LCHIP's 15th grant round supporting conservation and historic preservation from the North Country south to Nashua and from Portsmouth in the east to Claremont in the west. The $3.5 million awarded by LCHIP are being matched by nearly $20 million in funds from other sources.
Said Ms. Spaulding, "Our success is possible through the on-going generosity of individuals, businesses, and other organizations. We will need to match funds awarded by LCHIP.
About LCHIP
LCHIP is an independent state authority that provides matching grants to New Hampshire communities and non-profits to protect and preserve the state's most important natural, cultural and historic resources. Its legislatively mandated mission is to ensure the perpetual contribution of these resources to the economy, environment, and the quality of life in New Hampshire.
Since its inception in 2000, the program has provided 372 grants which have helped to protect nearly 200 historic structures and sites and to conserve more than 278,000 acres of land for food production, water quality, ecological values, timber management and recreation including hunting and fishing. Grants have been awarded in all parts of the state and in 149 of New Hampshire's communities. Thirty-nine million dollars of state money have leveraged more than $244 million in funds from other sources. LCHIP grants are supported by fees on four documents recorded at the Registry of Deeds in every county of the state.
More Information:
MHHA - Sharon Spaulding LCHIP