Manchester NH Heritage - History & Architecture

05/19/2026

Thank you for your hard work and your good humor! ❤

05/15/2026

It is such a joy to read about all these beautiful historic properties and the people who care for them. There is so much to admire and appreciate. Congratulations to the individuals and organizations who are being honored. And thank you, New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, for all you do.❤

Congratulations to our 2026 Preservation Achievement Award winners!
Learn more on our website: https://www.nhpreservation.org/blog/preservation-achievement-award-winners-2026

05/14/2026

This grand Tudor Revival style mansion at 607 Chestnut Street was built c1874 by Elisha Tubbs, a chemist who was involved in the manufacture and sale of a popular patent medicine, Ring's Ambrosia. His partner in the business was Person Cheney, future Governor of New Hampshire. There's a nice article outlining this complicated story on the Wilton NH town website: https://www.wiltonnh.gov/.../interesting.../ring_s_ambrosia . It is unclear how long Mr. Tubbs lived here (though it was likely a short period of time). It was later the home of Herman F. Straw, the Agent of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company from 1885 to 1919. After he died in 1929 the building was purchased by Elmer Goodwin and converted into a funeral home. The Goodwin Funeral Home was awarded a Historic Preservation Award by the Manchester Historic Association & Millyard Museum in 1995. Please share any additional information you may have about the history of the property.

So many people drive by this building every day, but have no idea how many very important things happen after the renovation.

This home's history is full of stories—for 145 years, 607 Chestnut Street was a funeral home serving the greater Manchester community. In moments of grief, connection, and farewell, people gathered here.

The building now is home to The Child Advocacy Center of Hillsborough County.

Today, that purpose continues in another form. It is still a place where people gather—not to say goodbye, but to move forward and find hope, healing, and support.

Generations have found comfort within these walls, and generations more will continue to do so. 💚

05/12/2026

Highlighted in the The Boston Globe

The Currier Museum of Art's Zimmerman House and Kalil House are the only two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes open to the public in New England. Built in the 1950s, they are beautifully preserved and interpreted and a popular destination for a growing number of Wright fans from around the world.
Tickets: https://www.currier.org/frank-lloyd-wright

For some time, the stewards of the two homes were happy to maintain a low profile. But now the Currier Museum of Art is ready to show off the architectural gems in its collection.

05/07/2026

Update:
A must-see! Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=996138929599137

Tune in on Friday at 9:30 a.m. for a conversation with local historian Stan Garrity about the Black History of Manchester project - WMNH 95.3 radio https://www.facebook.com/wmnh95.3

What stories has Manchester forgotten—and who’s working to bring them back?

This week on Let’s Talk About It, we sit down with local historian Stan Garrity to dive into the Manchester Black History Project, his incredible history sleuthing, and the hidden stories that helped shape our city. From untold narratives to fascinating discoveries, this conversation connects our past to the present in powerful ways.

Join us for a meaningful and eye-opening discussion—you might never look at Manchester the same way again.

🎙️ Tune in on Friday at 9:30 am and be part of the conversation. Manchester Ink Link WMNH 95.3 Manchester NH Heritage - History & Architecture

05/05/2026

New Hampshire Union Leader staffer Paul Feely with a piece on the retirement of Manchester's historic fire alarm system (with photos) -- "The final box — Box 4647 outside the main entrance of Manchester Collision Center at 150 John E Devine Drive — transmitted for the final time at 1 p.m. on May 1."

When the final master box in Manchester’s telegraph fire alarm system was pulled Friday, an era of service spanning more than 150 years came to an end — not with

05/04/2026

Important public meeting/community discussion (in person and online). This ad appeared in the New Hampshire Union Leader.

New Boston Space Force Station
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
6:00 p.m.
Regarding ongoing environmental cleanup activities at the station that spans land in Amherst, Mont Vernon, and New Boston

BACKGROUND:
The New Boston Space Force Station is an important historic site. It's worth keeping track of what is going on at the facility from a historic preservation point of view. The U.S. Space Force (like the U.S. Air Force before it) is tasked, through federal regulations, with maintaining certain historical artifacts and elements of the facility.

The station's history is closely tied to the history of the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The story starts in 1940 when Manchester’s municipal airport was taken over by the federal government for use as a base for the U.S. Army Air Corps. After a short period of construction, the airfield began operating in the spring of 1941. In 1942 it was named Grenier Field, in honor of a local Army pilot, Lieutenant Jean Grenier, who had died in a plane crash in 1934.

During World War II Grenier Field operated as a way station for warplanes, pilots, and crews bound for Europe, and also served as a training facility. To be fully operational, the base needed a practice bombing range. In 1942 the federal government took control of the land it needed in the farming community of New Boston, around 15 miles west of Manchester. The range served the Manchester airfield (after 1947 named Grenier Air Force Base) into the 1950s. Grenier Air Force Base came under civilian control on July 1, 1957, with a continued military presence for several years on leased space.

On April 1, 1960 the U.S. Air Force began operating a new facility, the New Boston Satellite Tracking Station, on the former bombing range property. This was renamed the New Boston Air Force Station in 2009. The U.S. Space Force was founded as a new branch of the U.S. armed forces in 2019, and it took command of the satellite station. The base was renamed the New Boston Space Force Station in 2021.

05/01/2026

Good bye, fire alarm boxes! "End of an Era: Manchester Retires 154-Year-Old Fire Alarm Telegraph System" - Read the news release from the City of Manchester Fire Department for the historical context.

04/27/2026

The 1736 General John Stark House is featured in Aurore Eaton, Writer's "Looking Back" column in the New Hampshire Union Leader today as part of a series about Major General John Stark, a hero of the Revolutionary War who lived in what is now the north end of Manchester. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1736, it is one of Manchester's great historical treasures. The house is owned by the Molly Stark Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The photo is from 1970. The column: https://www.unionleader.com/voices/looking_back/looking-back-john-stark-s-scots-irish-origins-and-his-family-s-early-years-in/article_ea300b0e-79f0-4e38-9a8b-be2713602e17.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawRcsdlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVWDdFUTA0YTZESWtES2wzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhQqZ7dBffzj7oMIHTs64_P5fH44xMZhjttmZ9nKFyiJnm8G7vnt4rAONyl0_aem_9f3zM15_4X0iNttOhDwaZg
For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen._John_Stark_House

The Scots Irish (Scotch Irish or Ulster Scots) were people from the lowland areas of Scotland who migrated to the northern province of Ulster in Ireland beginning in the early

04/27/2026

City of Manchester Heritage Commission
Meeting Agenda and Public Hearing Notice
Meeting Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Meeting Time: 6:00 P.M.
Meeting Location: Walter Stiles Conference Room- City Hall

The official notice is posted on the City Events Calendar: https://www.manchesternh.gov/

Agenda

1. Chair calls the meeting to order and Roll Call:

2. Historic Preservation and Conservation Education Campaign: The Commission will discuss initial topics of education campaign, and content for use in digital media and physical flyers, and website updates.

Additional Business:
1. Review and approval of the March 24, 2026 Meeting Minutes

2. Additional discussion items at the Commissions discretion.

Adjournment: Without objection, the Chair gavels the meeting to a close.

For any questions or to submit comments please contact:
Manchester Heritage Commission
City of Manchester Planning and Community Development Department
One City Hall Plaza
Manchester, NH 03101
(603) 624-6450
[email protected]

Image: Manchester City Hall, 1936 photo by Carl Mydans for the United States Resettlement Administration, collection of the Library of Congress