By Virginia Drye
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
PLAINFIELD, N.H. The Plainfield Town Hall holds a dual role in the community — as home to a one-of-a-kind stage set painted by artist Maxfield Parrish and as a community event space. Many projects are happening throughout the building with memories being brought back to life.
Built in 1798 on Center of Town Road, the Plainfield Town Hall building was moved near Plainfield Plans Cemetery and then to its current location in Plainfield Village in 1846.
In 1916, William Howard Hart, a famous stage designer whose resume included work for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, proposed to the town’s Selectboard that an addition be made, and a world-class stage set constructed.
Maxfield Parrish, an artist from the early- to mid-1900s mostly known for his illustrations and large murals, also a Plainfield resident, was commissioned to paint the wings and backdrop. The stage set depicts Mount Ascutney in the distance with a lake surrounded by woodland. Parrish fans from around the world have come to see this masterpiece.
The Town Hall had a large upgrade in the 1990s, including a wheelchair ramp, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant bathrooms, and a renovated kitchen to make the building more accessible.
Work was also done in the basement to mitigate any moisture from the ground. At about the same time, conservation work on the stage set was done. That work included the placement of corrugated plastic to the back of the wings to add structural integrity.
More recent projects have brought back memories of other uses of the Town Hall outside of the Stage set.
Bev Widger, chair of the Town Hall Committee that is charged with preserving the building, recalled her grandparents using the hall.
“My Grandfather was a moderator, and town meetings used to be in the town hall,” Widger said. “My parents met at a dance at the town hall. I remember dances at the town hall. I graduated kindergarten at the town hall. I have a lot of good memories… I want to save that for the next generation.”
Other memories include a small basketball court that was on the floor of the Town Hall with hoops at either end of the hall, near the tall windows. The audience would watch the game from the stage set.
A rifle group also used to meet at Town Hall and practiced shooting down the length of the hall from the stage towards the door facing the road.
The Plainfield Volunteer Fire Department also used to host bingo regularly on Saturdays at the hall.
Now, the Town Hall is not used regularly for those types of activities. However, monthly community dinners are hosted in the hall. Residents may also rent the building for private functions.
“It’s the only building in the village for activities that can fit more than 45 to 50 people,” Widger said. “It’s a community building, not a museum. It needs to be used by the community.”
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