Orford — A recent ceremony at the Orford town offices celebrated efforts to preserve a stately 19th century mansion on the town’s Main Street.

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance on May 19 recognized the town of Orford and others for working to protect the Rogers House, one of a row of seven “ridge houses” built on the east side of the street between 1804 and 1838.

The homes are among the most outstanding examples of rural Federal residential architecture in the United States, according to a news release from the preservation alliance.

“The Selectboard worked swiftly, with citizen input, to get the (Rogers House) property back on the tax rolls and preserve the integrity of the historic ‘Ridge’ neighborhood,” the release said. The Selectboard, the preservation alliance and an ad-hoc citizen group led by preservationist Carl Schmidt, of Orford, partnered to find the preservation buyers and protect the house for future generations.

The recent gathering was an important opportunity to welcome the new owners and thank everyone who made the preservation project happen, said Jennifer Goodman, executive director of the preservation alliance.

In February, the town sold the home to Jared Hemingsen and his wife, Elise Hemingsen, whose grandparents immigrated from Cuba and settled in Orford in 1960. Elise Hemingsen’s parents, David and Vanessa, live in Orford.

The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Orford downtown district.

An easement held by the alliance protects certain character-defining features of the structure, primarily the view from the road, Goodman said in a phone interview.

Thanks to “generous donors,” the easement was completed at no cost to the town, the release said.

— Staff report