The Sunapee planning board on Thursday gave approval to the use of the main floor of the old town hall on Main Street for retail sales. The Old Town Hall committee will pursue establishing a farmers’ market in the space, day and time to be determined. OTH committee members Kevin Rickard assisted by Dana Ramspott and Michael Durfor made the presentation to the board. The meeting was informative and the board was enthusiastic and supportive, said Barbara Sullivan, Sunapee. Sullivan has been researching the farmers’ market on behalf of the committee. Another change at the old town hall involves the Sunapee Thrift Shop, managed by members of the Sunapee Seniors. The shop plans to move into a renovated, larger space on the opposite side of the building from where it now operates.
In 2008, NH Preservation Alliance recognized the old town hall as an important but endangered historical resource and listed it as one of the state’s Seven to Save. Later in the year, the NH Dept. of Historic Resources added the property to the NH State Register of Historic Places. Appointed in 2006 by the selectmen, the Old Town Hall Committee has been researching the building, its history and future uses. Betsy Katz is the committee chair and Dana Ramspott, vice-chair.
Related article: Is a Farmers’ Market Coming to Suanpee (SunapeeNews.com)
Filed under: Commerce, History, Local Government, Sunapee Harbor, Sunapee, NH 03782 Tagged: | Farmers' market, NH Preservation Alliance, NH Register of Historic Places, Sunapee Harbor, Sunapee Planning Board
The poor harbor House did stand for a number of years as a vacant hulk with just the partial mansard roof section standing . In the end, the metal heatalator fireplace was salvaged from the ruins prior to the remains being torn down. Since I was in third grade at the time, I can not testify as to how the remains were removed being in school when it happened. I still think that the Sunapee fire department did a great job because if the town hall burned it takes very little imagination to believe that the mills and warehouses of the mill would go along with the commerciall structures of the town, two grocery stories, hardware store and grange hall. the action they did is one of the best fire stops I have ever seen.
[...] Sunapee Old Town Hall Gets OK for a Farmers’ Market (SunapeeNews.com) [...]
Great news about the farmers’ market! I can’t imagine a better way to connect people to each other, to bring together neighors and friends, and to once again develop a local-market economy.
But building a farmers’ market is hard work and the hoped-for results are not instant. So, our community needs to have positive patience and support this venture as it grows surely over time.
Great work OTH Committee and Barbara Sullivan!
What great news about the Farmer’s Market! Way to go, congrats to the people behind this effort.
[...] Its posted under the article about the old town hall and the farmers’ market coming to town: http://sunapeenews.com/2009/05/11/sunapee-old-town-hall-gets-ok-for-a-farmers-market/ Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Old Sunapee Postcards of Sunapee HarborThe Town of [...]
Now, I am old myself and store many childhood memories of Sunapee, but one of the best was seeing the building in use as the town hall. To a child in the 1940′s, this building was a wonder, a strange place of mystery and wonder. The most amazing thing was to see the burning of the Harbour House and the wonderful job the town fire department did in saving the town hall itself. I was at the elementary school on the hill and can remember the black pieces of roofing showering down on the school and school yard. If the firefighters never fought another fire, they proved their great worth that day. The mansard roof part of the structure that stood on the hill lost its roof that day and the flat roofed building section nearest the town house was pretty well flattened that day, The mansard roofed building remained standing for quite a few years. All in all, the town fire department really did wonders that day. Me? I had nightmares about the fire for years after.
I am told that there were several fires at the Harbor House Hotel through out its history. According to a former owner, the building was eventually torn down and the debris was hauled away; some was burned in place.