Milford Conservation Commission: Historic Resources

Historic structures and sites are the visual manifestation of the story of a community's people, places, and activity. The preservation of these resources helps a community retain a sense of place and identity. Prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, such as Indian sites, cellar holes, and cemeteries, also contribute to the understanding of a community's past like no written record can. In the case of prehistoric Indian sites, for example, there are no written records to study. Moreover, historic archaeological sites often contain artifacts that tell a story different from the one popularly accepted as history.

Within Milford's borders exist potential sites relating to the following historical contexts:

Prehistoric Period*

Paleo-Indian		10,000 to 8,000 BC
Archaic		8,000 to 1,000 BC
Woodland		1,000 BC to 1600 AD
Proto-Historic/Contact		c. 1600 to 1740 AD

Historic Period*

Small-scale lumbering and sawmilling		1750 - 1850
Rural textile manufacturing in So. NH		1820 - 1920
Sheep farming in NH		1820 - 1870
Dairying in NH		1840 - 1890
Dairying in NH		1890 to present
Granite quarrying in NH		1850 to present
NH Railroads		1850 - 1940

*Proposed contexts from the NH Statewide Comprehensive Plan for Historic Preservation, now under preparation by the DHR.

These contexts are being developed by the Division of Historical Resources following a National Park Service model designed to help each state present and evaluate information before making preservation decisions. There are likely to be other themes or contexts that could be applied to Milford.

Historic sites and structures contribute significantly to the town's character and aesthetic quality. In effect, there are two historical aspects to Milford. The first is the center Oval with its late 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century buildings, a classic and significant New Hampshire mill town center. The second is the rural character of the town, with many 18th- and 19th-century houses scattered along country roads. These resources contribute to the visual quality of Milford, both along scenic roads and in the town core. A variety of buildings of differing ages and styles provides an exciting built environment, which attracts tourists and patrons of local businesses.

A preliminary review by Division of Historical Resources (DHR) staff indicates that there are many historic structures in Milford meriting further study and protection. These structures are listed below:

Historic Buildings in Milford

Name	Date	Location
1. Carey House (Historical Soc.)	?	Union St.
2. Community House (Livermore)	1842	Union St.
3. First Congregational Church	1834	Union St.
4. Water Works	1889	South St.
5. Benjamin Goodwin	1818	Nashua St.
6. Methodist Episcopal Church	1816	Mt.Vernon/Grove
7. Eagle Hall	1784	Union Square
8. First Unitarian Church	1878	Elm St.
9. St. Patrick Church	1890	Amherst St.
10. Baptist Church	1806	No. River Rd.
11. Joseph Gould House	1746	Federal Hill Rd.
12. Aladon Averill House	1820	Jennison Rd.
13. Ebenezer Averill, Jr. House	1786	Jennison Rd.
14. Col. J. Burnham's Tavern (Hutchinson Family Homestead)	1773	No. River Rd.
15. Abner Hutchinson House	1775	No. River Rd.
16. Nathaniel Hutchinson House	1882	No. River Rd.
17. William Marvel House	1842	No. River Rd.
18. Deacon J. Wallace House	1811	No. River Rd.
19. Abiel Holt House	1793	Grove St.
20. Humphrey Moore House	1820	Elm St.
21. William Darracott, Jr. House	1799	Elm St.
22. Hopkins-Tucker House	1816	Elm St.
23. Andrew Bradford House	1743	Joslin Rd.
24. Benjamin Hutchinson Homestead	1747	Old Wilton Road
25. Elisha Town House	1770	Nashua Street
26. Phineas Blanchard House	1813	Savage Rd.
27. Daniel Goodwin House	1790	Federal Hill Rd.
28. Moses Foster Homestead	1788	Federal Hill Rd.
29. Isaac Abbott House	1778	Emerson Rd.
30. Caleb Brown House	1781	Judd Hall Rd.
31. Timothy Colburn House	1803	Echo Rd.
32. Col. J. Shepard, Jr. House	1757	Mt. Vernon Rd.
33. Daniel Burns, Jr. House	1761	Burns Rd.
34. Nehemiah Barker Homestead	1782	Foster Rd.
35. James Johnson House	1800?	Ruonala Rd.

Source: Division of Historical Resources, 1988.

Properties Listed on the National Register of Historic Places 1988

Property	Date	Location
1. William Peabody House (1740?)	11-30-79	North River Road
2. Milford Cotton & Woolen Manufacturing Company (The Mill)	8-18-82	Bridge Street
3. Town Hall (Dedicated 1870)	12-1-88	Union Square