Historic Buildings

WASHINGTON'S HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Washington has many old and historic buildings. Here are the most famous of them, with some historical background by the Town Historian, Ron Jager.

You can also get more History from the Washington Historical Society site.

Town Hall
Photo by Ann Corbett- Sunapee, NH.

Washington Town Hall

The Washington Town Hall was called a meetinghouse when it was erected in 1787. A hundred years later it was known as the Town House; today as the Town Hall. It is built along classic lines and proportions and originally there was nothing unusual abut it; it was one of hundreds like it. Now it is a very rare specimen. Originally, the Congregational Church and the town shared the use of the building. When it was built there was a two-story enclosed entrance, called a "porch," at each end.

In 1825 the bell tower replaced one porch (the other is still intact), and side and transom windows were added to the front door. Later in the 19th century the interior was altered to accommodate new uses: the lower boxpews were removed, and a floor inserted to create two stories. Town meetings were held here for over two hundred years, until the space available became too small (1990s), but the building has always been, and is now, in daily use for town business.

The building is well-cared for, and for over a hundred years no major changes have been made in it. A small book, A Sacred Deposit, available from the Washington Town Clerk, gives a complete history of the building.

Congregational Church
Ann Corbett photo

Washington Congregational Church

The Washington Congregational Church building was erected not far from the original Meetinghouse on the Washington Common in 1840. (It was then called "The New Meetinghouse.") Putting the new Church in the town center provoked a controversy at the time, and out of this came the Christian Church, two-and-a-half miles to the south, which later became the first Seventh-day Adventist Church in the world.

The building and its sanctuary are of the traditional New England style, white inside and outside, simple and somewhat austere. It is likely that the pews in the sanctuary were recreated from those taken out of the original Meetinghouse. During the 1980s the building was raised and foundation walls and full basement inserted. The Church has been in continuous use since 1840 and holds worship services -- welcoming all -- each Sunday morning. (10:00 during summer months, otherwise 11:00.) The Pastor of the Church is the Rev. William Salt.

Police Station
Ann Corbett photo

Washington Police Station

The center building (1883) on the Washington Common is the youngest and smallest of the three classic buildings. Today its first floor serves the Washington Police Department and the second floor is used by the Cub Scouts and the Girl Scouts.

For more than a hundred years this building served as the principal school house in Washington, and was known as the Center School. There had been an earlier school house near this site, a small brick structure, but by the 1880s it was both worn out and too small. About ten years of intense controversy (size, style, cost, location) preceded the construction of this building in 1883.

Eventually, it was decided to build a new school in the general style of the other town buildings, and place its facade flush with the Church. It proved to be a perfect solution, both for the needs of the school and the appearance of the town Common; and from that year forward it served as the Center School, and the whole Common has been the pride of the town.

Seventh-day Adventist Mother Church
Photo by Steve Marshall- Washington, NH.

Seventh-day Adventist Church

This humble and picturesque building in the southern part of Washington is honored as the Mother Church of the Seventh-day Adventists, today a world-wide denomination with over eleven million members and with churches in over 200 countries.

It was the meeting house build in 1842 by a local group of farmers calling themselves Christian Brethren, who dissented sharply from the strict Congregationalism of the Church in Washington Center. Many of the Christian Brethren became Adventists about the time this building was first used, and thereafter some of them began worshiping on the Seventh Day; and eventually the majority did so.

In 1862 the Seventh-day Adventist denomination was born at this place and this was recognized as the first church. The building is kept in good repair and is a regular point of pilgrimage.

E Washington Church
Steve Marshall photo

East Washington Baptist Church

This building, comfortably placed on a low hill-top in East Washington, was erected in 1877 and dedicated the following year, the third church on this site. The East Washington Calvinist Baptist Church (organized 1800), built its first church in 1827, but it burned within a few years. A second church on this spot burned in 1877. This building survives in good condition and the Church, small and now affiliated with the American Baptist denomination, is still active.

Purling Beck Grange
Steve Marshall photo

Former Purling Beck Grange Hall, East Washington

It began as a Methodist Church, built in 1859, but was active as such for only a short time. The Calvinist Baptists borrowed the building for a time in 1877-8, while their own new church was abuilding on the nearby hill top. Then the Free Will Baptists borrowed it, and for some years it stood unused. Eventually the Purling Beck Grange No 268, organized in East Washington 1898, came to the rescue. They purchased the building for one hundred dollars and promptly gave it to the local Baptist Society in exchange for an unconditional lease for as long as the grange holds its New Hampshire charter. For a hundred years now it has served comfortably as Grange Hall and community center for the village of East Washington. "Purling Beck" is Swedish for "babbling brook." The Purling Beck Grange disbanded and the building has been vacant since 2004.