The Fitzwilliam Common Historic District encompasses the historic heart of the small town of

Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire Fitzwilliam is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,351 at the 2020 census. Fitzwilliam is home to Rhododendron State Park, a grove of native rhododendrons that bloom in mid-July. History First granted a ...

. The district covers about , and includes the town common, laid out in 1765, and the buildings arrayed around it. The district was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1997. Although the territory that is now Fitzwilliam was first granted in 1752, it was not settled until 1765 due to a significant number of Indian raids in the area until after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. Its center became the crossing point of a number of turnpikes in the first half of the 19th century, which is when most of the buildings around the common were built. Most of the buildings around the common are either Federal or Greek Revival in their styling. There are only two buildings with later styling, both Italianate: the c. 1870 Henry House, and the 1857 Fitzwilliam Community Church. The Connelly House, a c. 1795 house, was restyled in the 1830s with Greek Revival features. Prominent public buildings on the common include the 1817

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

, separately listed on the National Register, the public library, built as a private home in 1804 and sold to the town in 1912, and an early fire engine house from c. 1827. Notable commercial buildings include the Fitzwilliam Inn (1843) and the Fitzwilliam Market (1859).

References

{{NRHP in Cheshire County, New Hampshire Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire Federal architecture in New Hampshire Greek Revival architecture in New Hampshire Italianate architecture in New Hampshire Historic districts in Cheshire County, New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places in Cheshire County, New Hampshire Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire

See also

References