You can Help . . . PRESERVE HISTORY
MY 250TH Birthday . . . 2028
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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 private school in America to have been run 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 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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". . . In addition to the unique history as the only private school in America known to have been supported by Freemasons, the New Hampshire Masonic Charitable Institute retains many incredible historic details including the breathtaking trompe l'oeil murals of the Masonic Temple. The building is a one-of-a-kind resource, and I am excited to watch this preservation project move forward as the building continues to serve it local community!" 
Mae H. Williams
Architectural Historian & Historic Preservation Consultant, UnlockingHistory.com Photo credit: Jon Gilbert Fox courtesy of Plymouth State University "As a local history librarian, I am gratified to know that the Town of Effingham, NH, appreciates the history inherent in keeping their historic town hall and library building current in the times while respecting and celebrating the historic architecture of the building. At their hearts, town halls and libraries provide gathering spaces for the community as well as the basic resources humans need to live together . . . "
Charity C. Rouse
Director of Local History, Spartanburg County Public Libraries, Spartanburg, SC and member of the Board of Directors for Spartanburg County Historical Association, Spartanburg, SC |
HELP reach our PHASE 2 goal!
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Do You Have questions? Want to learn more?
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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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