WEST LEBANON — Those interested in learning about the history of West Lebanon — including Dana House, the oldest structure in the city — are invited to a tour and presentation on Wednesday, June 12.
The free event is co-sponsored by the Lebanon Heritage Commission and Twin Pines Housing. It begins with a tour of Dana House, located on Elm Street West, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. From 6-7 p.m. at the Kilton Public Library, Lyssa Papazian, a historic preservation consultant, will present the new study “Maple Street Neighborhood: History and Context.”
Twin Pines Housing commissioned the study while working on its housing project on Tracy Street in downtown West Lebanon “in order to document maps and images, notable architectural styles, transformations of use, and occupant identities and stories from days of yore,” according to the event announcement.
Papazian’s talk will be followed by a presentation about the plans for renovating Dana House presented by Heritage Commission Chairman Rob Welsch from 7-8 p.m., also at the library. Twin Pines Housing will provide refreshments.
Currently, the city is considering creating a historic district in West Lebanon and the event will serve as an opportunity for the public to give feedback about the proposal, as well as the plans for Dana House.
“We’re trying to have outreach to the community and what the community thinks would be useful there,” Welsch said. “Everybody wants to see the house open and more often.”
The restoration will be aided by a $25,000 donation from the late City Historian Robert Leavitt.
The commission and city are in the process of applying for grant funding.
“Some of the priority needs are removal and replacement of the roofing and lead abatement before it can be open to the public and also to ensure that the interior remains protected from the elements,” said Rebecca Owens, associate planner with Lebanon. “At the same time in developing his plan to support an application for funding you have to start to solidify an idea of the programming.”
A couple of times of year, school groups will visit Dana House as part of their Lebanon history unit, Welsch said.
Dana House, a 1½ story cape, was likely built in 1764 or 1765, according to information on Lebanon’s website, and “is thought to be the fourth house built in Lebanon, built only a few years after Gov. Benning Wentworth signed the charter for the town of Lebanon and several other towns in the Upper Valley on 4 July 1761.” Its original location was on South Main Street and it was moved to its current location in 1988.
“I think the big part is what it represents is not just a structure, but the stories that were told there,” Owens said. “We know that there are many wonderful attributes to that part of Lebanon and while we modernize we also need to ensure that we’re protecting what makes the place special.”
Editor’s note: For more information or to register, visit https://lebanonnh.gov/ or email Owens at Rebecca.Owens@lebanonnh.gov. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
