EXETER – The American Independence Museum (AIM), a member of the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, has received a $170,590 matching grant for a major restoration project to preserve the historic Ladd-Gilman House.
The grant was awarded by the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP).
Trail President Jeff Barraclough thanked LCHIP for its contribution to funding the restoration project. “The Ladd-Gilman House is a historically significant structure in the state,” he said. “This grant will help preserve history and raise awareness of other historic buildings and sites along the trail.”
The house was built in 1721 by Nathaniel Ladd as one of the state's first brick houses and was purchased in 1747 by Daniel Gilman, a prominent Exeter merchant.
The Ladd-Gilman House served as the state treasury during the Revolutionary War, when two members of the Gilman family, Colonel Nicholas Gilman and his son John Taylor Gilman, the state's future governor, served as state treasurers.
The house was also the birthplace of Nicholas Gilman Jr., a signer of the United States Constitution and a U.S. Senator.
Carr said preservation work includes window restoration, foundation repair, structural work, door, jamb and sill repairs, asbestos removal and exterior work on damaged shingles and paint.
AIM must match every dollar plus at least one additional dollar to fund the project.
Carr noted that people can expect to see outdoor renovations in the next two years.
In addition to the American Independence Museum in Exeter, The Trail member institutions are located in the Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley and Seacoast in New Hampshire. To find out more about The Trail or AIM, visit www.nhmuseumtrail.com.