Town Hall Energy Audit

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Deerfield Town Hall

Town Hall Energy Audit was completed by SEEDS November 2021 – Sustainable Energy Education & Demonstration Services for the Deerfield Energy Committee and funded by Eversource.

Based on investing $60,074 into the thermal envelope or shell of the Town Hall is estimated to save $7,018 a year heating costs based on 2019 occupancy patterns and the current price of $3.25 per gallon of oil. [This was the price at the time of the audit]. At that price, a simple payback would be less than nine years and a 4.4% annual return on investment for each of the 25 years life of measure. Read a quick overview of the audit.

The Deerfield Town Hall was constructed in 1856 and noted as one of New Hampshire’s best public examples of Greek Revival Architecture. It is on the National Register of Historic Place and is the centerpiece of the Historic District.

Deerfield School Houses

School houses in early Deerfield were arranged in districts within walking distance of nearly every student. Eventually there were sixteen districts, each electing its own moderator, clerk, auditors, and a Prudential Committee of three people, who were essentially the school board of that district.

Historic Map of Deerfield Schools as noted by Joanne Wasson
The map shows the locations of the fourteen school houses in Deerfield, and two others,( #14 where students went to school in Candia, and #16 located in Nottingham.) Map courtesy of Joanne Wasson

Cobbler Shop? Wash House? – Around Deerfield

You might see a noumber of these small outbuildings when driving around Deerfield. They were generally know as craft houses, cobbler’s or “ten footer” shops. Being a Yankee farmer often meant having many different income streams. One possiblity was to make shoes. Shoes were either made in these small houses or leather was cut in a central location ( Epping, Derry or Portsmouth) and farmed out to home piece workers to complete the work.

Shops had lots of window to provide light for the craftsman. Sometimes they were attached to the main house. This one on Church Street was changed to a laundry facility at some point in time. The inside has a double wash tub and has hooks on opposite walls to string laundry lines. Do you have “out buildings” attached or stand alone?

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Decorative Corbel – Around Deerfield

Decorative Corbels
Decorative corbels were often added
to older houses.

This decorative corbel is stripped for repair and restoration. Decorative corbels were often added to older home to upate them to a more “contemporary” Victorian look. This one in on a Deerfield home at the Parade. Can you find it? Do you have an interesting architectural detail on your Deerfield home?

FAQ – Upper Lamprey Scenic Byway

The Deerfield Heritage Commission has a seat on the Upper Lamprey Scenic Byway Committee and participates in the joint planning efforts with representatives from Northwood, Candia and the Southern NH Planning Commission.

The New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byways Program was established in 1992 under RSA 238:19, “… to provide the opportunity for residents and visitors to travel a system of byways which feature the scenic and cultural qualities of the state within the existing highway system, promote retention of rural and urban scenic byways, support the cultural, recreational and historic attributes along these byways, and expose the unique elements of the state’s beauty, culture and history.”