Our Historic
Home
A
Brief History of 214 N. Main Street
The building at
214 North Main Street has long been a fixture on Concord's
North End. Built in 1826 as the home of the Merrimack County
bank, it is believed to be the first three-story brick building
on Main Street.
Designed and built
by local architect/builder John Leach in the Adamsesque
Federal style, it features tall recessed arches with stone
imposts on the facade reminiscent of the Boston work of
Bulfinch, and step-gable ends and square, simple-capped
chimneys.
Franklin
Pierce Worked Here
Originally built
with double entries on Main Street, the building's occupants
have included:
- Merrimack County's Upper Bank
- New Hampshire Savings Bank
- Merrimack County Fire Insurance Company
- Merrimack County registry of deeds
- Selectmen's office
- Law offices of former Congressman Charles Peaslee, Sylvester
Dana, and General Franklin Pierce.
Dr. Nathaniel Bouton,
pastor of the North Church and early Concord historian,
had a study on the second floor. The third story was set
apart as a public hall until 1840 when it was first occupied
by the New Hampshire Historical Society.
Former
Home of the NH Historical Society
In 1866, when the
Merrimack County Bank's charter expired, and it elected
to go out of business (solvent, we might add), the Historical
Society acquired the building. At about 1910-1911, the society
employed Guy Lowell (architect of the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston) to substantially renovate the building for continued
use as museum space.
Lowell removed a
portion of the second floor, replaced the double entry with
the single front entry and portico, and introduced detailed
trim, paneling and arch work to create a dramatic entry
and atrium. The Historical Society maintained the building
as its library and archives until the group moved to its
present quarters on Park Street around 1910 or 1911.
The society continued
to house historic displays here until 1950, when it sold
the building to the Christian Mutual Insurance Company,
which conducted business here until 1977, when Gallagher,
Callahan & Gartrell purchased it.
Caretakers
for a New Century
GC&G further
renovated the building, restoring the second floor, but
preserving and duplicating where possible the arches, paneling
and trim work introduced by Guy Lowell. We restored and
relocated features removed during renovations, such as the
atrium chandelier that now hangs in the third floor library.
In constructing two
additions to the building, in 1983 and 1989, we endeavored
to complement the Georgian features of the historic structure
without detracting from its beauty or proportions. And as
we move into the age of high-speed communications, we have
taken extraordinary care to wire our offices without compromising
the building's architectural and historical integrity.
