The Board of Directors of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program has announced $4.1 million dollars in matching grants awarded to thirty-two projects across the state, including the historic 1775 Jaffrey Meetinghouse. The Town of Jaffrey has received a $68,500 grant award to support major work on the 1822 bell tower, scheduled for September-October 2021. The tower will be fully scaffolded, deteriorated railings and trim will be restored or replaced, the clock faces will be conserved and re-gilded, interior stairs and landings will be reinforced or re-built, and the entire exterior will be painted.
“The Meetinghouse is a well-loved structure and those in Jaffrey appreciate greatly LCHIP’s support for this ambitious project,” said Rob Stephenson, who is coordinating the effort as a member of the Meetinghouse Committee. “This generous grant will enable the Town and its various non-profit organizations to more easily raise the remaining funds necessary to complete the undertaking.”
LCHIP funds will support projects in nine of the state’s ten counties. This grant round was highly competitive,with nearly $8 million in funding requests compared to $4.1 million available for grants. LCHIP Board of Directors Chair Amanda Merrill of Durham observed that “With the large number and high quality of applications that where submitted this year, the board had the satisfaction of awarding grants to a variety of wonderful projects – and the regret of being unable to support many others. It is clear to me that the work of LCHIP is more important than ever.”
Grant recipients are required to raise a minimum of one dollar for each dollar provided by LCHIP. This year’s awards of $4.1 million will be matched by nearly $18 million that the project proponents will raise from other public and private sources, infusing a total of over $22 million into the state’s economy in direct project activity.