When Henrietta Kenney saw the stunning white cupola of her 19th-century Boscawen barn deteriorating, she knew she needed help.

The Kenney family had owned the King Street structure since the 1960s when Henrietta and her husband, Harold, bought it at auction. Before Harold died in 2021, he said he hoped the structure would be preserved.

Over the years, the barn had become not just a family treasure but a landmark on Boscawen’s historic thruway, a white structure with a red roof protruding from behind a house just before Routes 3 and 4 split.

In late 2023, Kenney’s son-in-law stumbled upon a small Gilford-based family company that appeared to be a perfect fit for the specialized job.

Tim Andrews, the owner of New England Barns and Bridges, had just returned from working on the longest covered bridge in California when he learned about the project.

Over the last year, Andrews and two of his children restored the cupola and replaced portions of the barn’s flooring and some of its beams. They also raised a section of the barn by almost a foot because it had begun to sink.

“Henrietta and I share the same passion for the proper approach to restoring a historic barn,” Andrews said. “It was a joy to work with her on this project.”

This month, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance awarded Kenney a Preservation Achievement Award. Kenney’s daughter, Amy Garceau, said the honor means a great deal to her family.

“It was my parents’ dream to keep it standing and to restore it, and that’s what they’ve done,” Garceau said.

The family received property tax relief from the town, and they hope to pay that support back by sharing the barn with the community. They hosted an open house earlier this month and hope to host another in the future, Garceau said.

“It’s a beautiful town that is very, very close-knit and we’re grateful to be a part of it,” she said.

Jennifer Goodman, the executive director of the Preservation Alliance, said that as those in the preservation trades age, the organization is encouraging younger generations to learn the craft. She was heartened that Andrews’ children participated in the project.

“Restoring and replicating the Victorian cupola provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience that two of my adult children participated in,” Andrews said. “My hope is my children will continue in the field of historic restoration, whether it be covered bridges or timber frame barns.”

The Kenney barn was not the only area structure to win a preservation award this year.

The Warner House Association was honored for its reconstruction of the Warner Carriage House, Chinbeg Builders was honored for its rehabilitation of the Stevens Mill Complex in Franklin, the town of Bradford was honored for its restoration of its town hall, and the First Baptist Society & Religious Association of Lower Gilmanton was honored for its restoration of the First Baptist Church.

Jeremy Margolis can be contacted at jmargolis@cmonitor.com