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Greetings! Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the 1858 New England Masonic Charitable Institute-Town Hall-Library Building, although you can call me the Historic Town Hall, or Effie, which is what my friends call me. In fact, those friends asked me to write the intro for this website. I've never done this before, so please bear with me.
Where to begin? Well, I guess in the middle, since the town was already around for 100 or so years before I was a twinkle in anyone's eye. In the mid-1850s, sons of the Town leaders got together to propose a new, grand building for the center of town. There were big plans for me. Originally, I was built as a Masonic Lodge and an academy (The New England Masonic Charitable Institute--quite a mouthful). Turns out, they broke the mold when they made me, as I'm the only known boarding academy school in America to have been sponsored by the Freemasons... oh, look at me, babbling on about myself. How embarrassing! Let's get back to my friends, and why we have this website. They sat me down, and, with love and respect, explained that maybe I could use a bit of a makeover, that times had changed and I hadn't. It was a bit hard to hear at first, but their enthusiasm, love, and respect for me were obvious. It didn't take long for my hesitation to turn to excitement as we talked about how best to prepare me for the 250th anniversary of the founding of our New Hampshire town. There's lots more history in my long past that I'll tell you about over the coming months. But our immediate need is donations to get us through our next and last phase of fundraising. Can you believe that for every dollar my friends raise, there are grants that will match those donations one-for-one? It's an opportunity that we are seizing. My friends and I hope that you'll help us out by donating now and become part of this historic project. Even small donations like $18.58 help! 
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". . . I have been incredibly impressed watching the Effingham community move forward with their rehabilitation efforts on the former New Hampshire Masonic Charitable Institute building, the only known American private institute to have been supported by the Freemasons. Through a series of phased projects, a very dedicated group of citizen preservationists has worked to make their vision to preserve the building a reality and make this a one-of-a kind resource, complete with delicate Italianate detailing and breathtaking trompe l'oeil murals, available for the entire community to enjoy!" 
Mae H. Williams
Architectural Historian & Historic Preservation Consultant, UnlockingHistory.com (2024) Photo credit: Jon Gilbert Fox courtesy of Plymouth State University "I travel to all corners of NH for my job with the NH Preservation Alliance and few communities impress me more than Effingham. Here is a town that deeply cares about its historic buildings and thinks carefully about how they can be harnessed to benefit the community. That combination is the pinnacle of preservation. This project is a model for other towns...and the enthusiasm and expertise of the people behind are enviable."
Andrew Cushing
former Community Preservation Services Manager, New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, Concord, NH, (2024) |
HELP reach our PHASE 3A goal!
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Follow along |
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This project was funded in part by a grant from the NH Preservation Alliance, which received support for its grants program from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP).
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Effingham Preservation Society is a 501(c)3 organization established in 1999 to preserve historic buildings and landmarks in Effingham, New Hampshire. The Preservation Society has agreed to be the Fiscal Agent of the Historic Town Hall Project.
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