With a $54,600 LCHIP grant in hand, the Jaffrey Meetinghouse Committee is more than halfway to its goal of raising $100,000 to replace the meetinghouse’s wood-shingle roof.
Committee head and project director Rob Stephenson said the goal is to raise enough money to be able to begin construction in spring or fall of 2017.
“This represents a critical piece of our funding,” said Stephenson, about the grant. “It also shows that we have support for this project.”
The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program grant was awarded to the Jaffrey Meetinghouse on Thursday. The meetinghouse was one of 35 projects in the state to receive this kind of grant money.
The committee decided the roof needed to be repaired last year after noticing that heavy snow and ice buildup had caused a leak in the roof and water damage on the ceiling of the building.
Stephenson said the committee is still applying for other grants and available funds, hoping to raise as much money as possible before Town Meeting. The remainder, according to Stephenson, will be asked for in a warrant article at Town Meeting.
“Before Town Meeting, we are going to put the project out to bid, so we have a precise figure,” said Stephenson. “Right now, we have an estimate of $100,000, but it could be more or less.”
Stephenson said the project calls for the use of Alaskan cedar shingles, a durable wood that, if installed correctly, should last 50 years. The current shingles are 21 years old.
The roof will be reshingled in the same style as it was before, so little change should be noticed, according to Stephenson.
“As far as I know, this is the only meetinghouse in New Hampshire to still have a wood shingle roof,” said Stephenson. The project is due to be completed in spring or fall.
The Meetinghouse is the sole surviving second period meetinghouse in the Monadnock region, according to the LCHIP application. It has been in continuous use since 1775 as a meetinghouse, church, high school, town offices, concert and lecture hall and theater.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.