Kimball Jenkins House is nearing completion of the project to restore the roof of 1882 mansion. It is still fundraising for the last $90,000 of the $400,000 project. On Saturday, Sept. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. it will hold a public event to celebration the preservation effort. There will be outdoor activities for all ages, contests, demos and more.
Learn how slate roofs are made, gaze on shiny copper roofs, and marvel at museum-quality Victorian and Gothic woodwork. Go on a scavenger hunt to find treasures and champion trees around the estate. See if you can guess the number of slate tiles on the roof and how much all that stone weighs! Maybe even operate a bull wheel and take home your very own piece of slate with a stick of chalk for drawing or tic-tac-toe.
Most activities will be outside on the grounds. Optional self-guided tours of the estate, including the 1882 House and gallery, Carriage House gallery with photography exhibit by Maundy Mitchell, and Yellow House art studios. Masks and social distancing required. Space is limited & advance registration is required.
There will be VIP tours of the scaffolding, rooftop, and attic. This will be the last opportunity to ascend to that height as the scaffolding will start to come down soon. The tour is part of a free public event to educate people on the value of historic preservation and encourage donations to the capital campaign. To attend the VIP tour you must be able to climb stairs, climb out an attic window with support, and have sure footing on the scaffolding. The scaffolding is very sturdy and the rooftop views are spectacular.
For more information, visit kimballjenkins.com/upcomingevents/roof-roof. Though the event is free, space is limited and reservations required at https://tinyurl.com/ROOF-ROOF19th.
The Pierce Manse, the historic Concord home of New Hampshire’s only U.S. president, Franklin Pierce, will be offering small group guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Sept. 18 and running through Oct. 31. Visitors and tour guides alike are required to wear a face covering and to follow social distancing guidelines during the tour. Only two groups of six or fewer guests will be allowed in the Manse at one time. Visitors will be asked to sign a form stating that they are free from COVID-19 symptoms.
Franklin Pierce was president of the United States from 1853 to 1857 and is the only New Hampshire resident to be elected to the country’s highest office. Visitors to the Pierce Manse, Pierce’s Concord home, will learn about what life was like in the mid-19th century for Franklin Pierce, his wife Jane, and their two sons.
Franklin Pierce was born in Hillsborough in 1804, the son of Revolutionary War veteran and New Hampshire Gov. Benjamin Pierce. Before being elected the 14th President of the United States in 1852, he was elected to the New Hampshire State Legislature, the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Pierce was the youngest Speaker of the New Hampshire Legislature and served as a Brigadier General in the Mexican War. While president, Pierce reduced the national debt by 60% from $75 million to $35 million, established the office of the United States Attorney General, modernized the Army and Navy, improved relations with Canada, established trade with Japan and expanded our national borders.
The Pierce Manse is located at 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane in Concord. For more information, visit piercemanse.org.