The Jaffrey Center Historic District encompasses the traditional civic heart of the small town of
Jaffrey, New Hampshire
Jaffrey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,320 at the 2020 census.
The main village in town, where 3,058 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Jaffrey census-designated place (CDP) a ...
. The district lies to the west of the Jaffrey's main business district, extending along Main Street (
New Hampshire Route 124
New Hampshire Route 124 (abbreviated NH 124) is a east–west highway in southern New Hampshire, United States. It runs from Marlborough to the Massachusetts border.
The western terminus of NH 124 is in Marlborough at New Hampshire Route 101. T ...
) from Harkness Road to the Jaffrey Common, and along Thorndike Pond Road northward from Main Street. It includes the town's oldest civic buildings, and was its main center until the mills of East Jaffrey eclipsed 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 1975.
Description and history
The district retains the feel of an 18th-19th century rural village, and includes elements dating to shortly after the town's incorporation in 1773. The old burying ground was established in 1774, and the old meeting house (now a cultural center) was raised in 1775. The district includes 19th century school houses, and houses that were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, in predominantly Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival styles. One of the town's early industries is also represented, in the remnants of a
tannery
Tanning may refer to:
*Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
*Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
**Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
**Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
established c. 1810 at the east end of the district.
The area's importance as an economic as well as civic center arose after completion of the Third New Hampshire Turnpike (now NH 124). The turnpike brought travelers, who stopped at inns and taverns in the center, and goods, which were sold to local farmers. Melville Academy, a secondary school, was founded in 1832, and its 1833 building is now a local museum. The area remained of some significance even as East Jaffrey's mills became more prominent, as it catered in the late 19th century to vacationers drawn to nearby
Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is a mountain in the towns of Jaffrey and Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the most prominent mountain peak in southern New Hampshire and is the highest point in Cheshire County. It lies southwest of Concord a ...
.
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See also
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References
{{NRHP in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Colonial architecture in the United States
Federal architecture in New Hampshire
Greek Revival architecture in New Hampshire
Historic districts in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
National Register of Historic Places in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Jaffrey, New Hampshire