ARCHITECTURE

1. Orientation - Look for old cellar holes to open toward the south for warmth and look for lilacs often planted at the doorways as signals of old dwellings.  Note that cellar holes may be considerably smaller than the house that stood on them.  Cellars did not have ping-pong tables.  Watch for root cellars and old wells. Do not look at the top of a hill but on the wind protected side of the hill for an old dwelling. 

2. Native American Indian sites  Proximity to water, a hill for a lookout, and sandy or soft soil for digging with blunt instruments are three criteria for the likelihood of a NAI site.

3. Hops and Hophouses:

About hops

Hophouses 035-018 and 003-017,

4. Taverns: See Historical Society for information on this and summer people. e.g. #HD50 According to the HD National Register information: “Taverns were located at what is now 20 Depot Rd. (#50), 19 Main Street (#11), 27 Main St. and the site of the present 22-24 Main St (#27).”  There were taverns also outside of the Historic District especially as Hollis was on the Boston Post Road.

5. Shops: Printing and Telephone,

053-006  , Hildreth Private Collection

Cooper, 019-011, 052-034, 013-056

Shoes Gates HD# 14A

Blacksmith 008-044

6. Mills 035-020 and Places to Visit

7. Schools Hollis had one room grammar schools until the Farley Building was constructed in 1902.  Some still exist and are used as homes.  Some having had a variety of uses are now only cellar holes.  These are all documented on the individual properties.  Examples are: 036-032 ,  053-006, 031-093. In the Scrapbook of Personages (People Section) a Bailey School Reunion can be seen; the changes in the Farley Bldg. 1902 in architecture can be seen in the Personal Collection Hildreth Section.

8. Depots Look for the link to Hollis Depot map at the lower right of the Sites around Town map on Nashua River where a map and old photograph and memories will be found. For more on nearby depots go the Pepperell website listed under links.  Note that the roadbed for the Boston and Maine line coming into the Hollis Depot has been made into a bike path and will connect to downtown Boston.  One can access it from Groton Rd. just south of the Hollis line.  Make a turn to the west on Groton Rd. at a fork just south of the original site of the Depot, which is now a propane company.

9. Stores HD # 27, HD#74 and see hard copy at Town Hall on Patch’s Corner

10. Firehouses HD#26 http://www.hollis.nh/fire/fireframes/html

11. Warehouses  examples are on 036-009

12. Outhouses­ Very important, see Historical Society

13. Town Hall ­ Government ­ Meetings #43 and http://www.hollis.nh.us/

14. Library HD#36 and http://www.hollis.nh.us/library

15. Church ­ Meeting House HD#37 and http://www.hollischurch.org/

16. Bridges A link to Runnells Bridge with map and photos is at the lower right of the Sites Around Town map, see also Federal Hill 035-020, #HD60 and go to Pepperell Town site

17. Burial Grounds ­ see places to visit

18. Waterways ­ see map Nashua River Water Shed

19. Hills ­ Geology ­ Drumlins, Eskers, Kettle Holes see map

20. Soil Types ­ see Woodmont and orchards on map of Town also NRPC site Nashua Regional Planning Commission

21. Food - Animals and Fish ­ see OHD and Ag-Ed Days  New Hampshire Farm Bureau

22. Walls -There is an art to constructing a stone wall, which will last.  See the library for books on this.  The first course of stones needs to be below ground for stability and balance needs to be created between large and small stones.  Some walls are double with small stones as fillers between the two walls.  See the Heritage Commission’s study of stone walls in Hollis.  Note the regulations regarding moving any stone or wall which is a lot line marker.  People take pride and pleasure in their walls; do not “borrow” stones, which you may see along the road or on a walk.

23. Fences also have parameters to look well with the building and to last.  See the guide book put out by the HDC.

24. Landscaping and Building Additions are also discussed in the HDC Guidelines Booklet. An old garden can be seen at Beaver Brook maintained by the Maple Hill Gardeners.

25. Roads and Trails ­ See Trail Committee and new book on Roads and their names and traditions by Becky Crowther and Joan Tinklepaugh which may be added here in the future.