The ski jump that lies dormant on the hills of Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford was there long before the chairlifts and Alpine trails - even before the mountain had a name.

Built as a New Deal project in 1937, construction of the 70-meter jump created jobs for hundreds of local workers and soon put the small town on the map as a destination for serious skiers contending in national and international ski jump competitions.

The towering edifice has fallen into disrepair since it was last used in 2004, and there's no money in the Belknap County budget to fix it. But a group of preservationists and ski enthusiasts have set their sights on restoring the abandoned jump and two smaller ones that sit nearby, with hopes to eventually revitalize ski jumping programs and bring Olympic-level competitions back to the mountain.

"It would be a real shame for all the generations that fought to get that jump there and kept it there . . . for us to be the generation that said, 'Ah, it's not worth it,' " said Carol Anderson, a Gilford resident who's lobbied for the jump's preservation since learning about it while researching local ski history for a book she's writing.

"Historically, this is of major significance," Anderson said.

This week, the jump made the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance's "Seven to Save" list for 2009. Created three years ago, the list recognizes endangered historic landmarks in need of attention and resources. Others to make this year's list include Wolfeboro's Brewster Memorial Hall, a Romanesque Revival building that once housed the town offices and an iron furnace landmark in Franconia.

Maggie Stier, field service representative for the alliance, said that while the program typically works to preserve historic buildings, this year's list has included more unusual projects. The ski jump was an easy pick, she said, given the state's early skiing heritage.

"In the post-Depression United States, the government had the foresight to put money into this project," Stier said. "With the ski industry just starting, it was a very forward-thinking move to try to construct a ski jump."

With the preservation alliance's backing, the project will have a better shot at securing grant money and more success in its fundraising efforts, she said.

"We bring attention and resources to assist in the preservation efforts," Stier said. "Oftentimes funders will look at this with a more favorable eye, knowing that a statewide nonprofit has singled this particular project out."

What's unknown at this point is exactly how much the repairs will cost, said Bob Durfee, chairman of the Gunstock Area Commission. While the steel frame of the structure is relatively sound, the fading, splintering wood surrounding it needs to be replaced, and the landing hill below needs work, he said.

A similar restoration project in Burlington, Vt., cost about $600,000, he said, but it's hard to predict what this one could cost.

"The problem Gunstock has is, we don't have the money to invest in repairing or restoring the jumps, and if we did, there isn't much financial return," Durfee said. "That's why we're thinking of the grant application route. Once we bring it back and restore it, we have the funds to maintain and run it."

Still, Durfee said, it's difficult to gauge how much demand is out there for restoring the ski jumping program. The jump wasn't used after 2004 because of a "lack of interest."

"There's been a decline in ski jumping as a winter event," he said.

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