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Danville Meeting House
Prior to 1755
The Danville Old meeting House has been documented as New Hampshire's oldest meeting house in original condition, and that distinction is commemorated in the "Hawke Meeting House" state historical marker which was placed on the Meeting House grounds in 1995. The Meeting house is unique, irreplaceable, and an extraordinarily valuable repository of information about local, state' and national architecture, history, religion, and governance, which exists not only in documentary records, but is also embodied within the physical form, materials, and finishes of the building itself. It's age gives added consequence not only to it's framing and detailing, but especially to fragile elements such as it's window sashes and glazing. The Danville Meeting House and the adjacent burying ground have continued to hold and to convey their meaning through the medium of wood, glass, and story, and as a result they are extremely vulnerable to any kind of physical damage. Because of it's early date and it's connection with Puritan form of Protestant Christianity, the Meeting House also shares certain qualities with Puritan churches in England, which have not yet been fully explored by scholars and architectural historians. It is one of New Hampshire's most important buildings, and one which has value internationally as well. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to protect it from damage, and to insure that it will remain in tact, unharmed, and undiminished, a three dimensional legacy for the education, enjoyment, and inspiration of future generations- represented equally by international scholars and by local residents.
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