PRESERVING NEW HAMPSHIRE’S PAST
Original textile machines, brick walls, wood floors and other reminders of America’s Industrial Revolution will be the inspired setting for a discussion about historic preservation in New Hampshire.
NHPR’s daily-call in show The Exchange will be in the Lakes Region for a special appearance at the historic Belknap Mill in Laconia on Friday evening, May 11.
Before a live audience, The Exchange host Laura Knoy will lead a discussion about the challenges – and opportunities – that come with preserving New Hampshire’s historical and cultural sites. Laura will be joined by a panel of community experts who are versed in the issue.
The conversation is timely on several fronts. As New Hampshire’s demographics and the economics of the state evolve, many smaller towns and cities wrestle with how best to preserve historic downtowns or aged buildings: How to weigh conservation with accommodating future growth or new development? What is the ‘cost’ of preservation and its impact on communities that are struggling economically? And how can historic places and sites stimulate cultural opportunities or help fuel our creative economy? Laura and the panelist will converse on these issue and also take questions from the audience.
Joining Laura as event panelists will be:
- Jennifer Goodman - Executive Director of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance
- Jared Guilmett – Vice President of the Board of Directors, Belknap Mill Society
- Elizabeth Muzzey – Director of the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources and State Historic Preservation Officer
- Justin Slattery – Executive Director, Belknap Economic Development Council
Attendees will potentially be able to ask questions at the event, or submit online through social media prior (Twitter: @NHPRExchange or Facebook: @nhprexchange). Members of the public can also e-mail their questions/comments to: exchange@nhpr.org.
Join NHPR and Belknap Mill for this special event, free and open to the public, or follow NHPR on social media for updates.
[NOTE: May also marks Preservation Month – a nationwide celebration of historic places and the benefits of preserving our past. First established in 1973 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Month provides an opportunity for state historical societies, businesses and civic organizations to promote heritage tourism, share the social and economic benefits of historic preservation, and foster community pride in historic sites.]
REGISTRATION:
The event is free, but registration is required. Please register online at: www.nhpr.org/events
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Friday, May 11, 2018
LOCATION: Belknap Mill (https://www.belknapmill.org/)
25 Beacon Street East - Laconia, NH 03246
TIME:
5:45 p.m. - Doors open. Guests are welcome to browse the first floor museum and gallery.
6:15 p.m. – Audience is seated (third-floor meeting room)
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. – The Exchange program underway, recorded for later broadcast.
7:30 – 8 p.m. – Reception to follow in the first-floor museum area.
[NOTE: The program will air later on NHPR, on Wednesday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.; a rebroadcast will air that evening from 7 to 8 p.m.]
TUNE IN:
- The Exchange is New Hampshire’s only locally-produced, statewide call-in talk show, hosted by Laura Knoy. The program airs live from 9 to 10 a.m. on NHPR Monday to Friday, and is rebroadcast from 7 to 8 p.m. weekday evenings.
- Follow the program on Twitter: @NHPRExchange, Instagram:nhprexchange or Facebook @nhprexchange
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About NHPR
Since 1981, NHPR has shaped the media landscape in the Granite State and beyond. Our mission is “Expanding minds, sparking connections, building stronger communities.” NHPR is broadcast from 14 different sites, making it by far New Hampshire’s largest (and only) statewide radio news service. Every week, NHPR is the choice of more than 170,000 listeners as a primary source of in-depth and intelligent news coverage, with thousands more viewing NHPR.org and NHPR social media sites. Each day, New Hampshire Public Radio delivers several hours of local news reported by its award-winning news team. Locally-produced programs include The Exchange, Word of Mouth, The Folk Show, Outside/In, Civics 101, and numerous podcasts. NHPR is the exclusive outlet for NPR News in the Granite State and broadcasts national weekly programs such as The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, and This American Life.
About Belknap Mill
Built in 1823, the Belknap Mill is the only building left that represents the first stage of the Industrial Revolution in America. It is the oldest, unaltered brick textile mill in the United States. The Belknap Mill was one of the first mills to convert from weaving to knitting during the Civil War.
One of the first listed buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, the Belknap Mill shows how preservation and history can combine in a community-based museum and cultural arts center.
