The Armstrong Memorial Building is a historic municipal building at 3 North Lowell Road in
Windham, New Hampshire
Windham is a suburban town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 15,817, up from 13,592 in 2010.
History
The area was initially home to the Pawtucket Native Americans. Scots-Irish immigr ...
. Built in 1899, it was the town's first purpose-built library building, a role it played until 1997. It now houses the town museum. The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
Description and history
The Armstrong Memorial Building is located in the town center of Windham, a cluster of municipal, civic, and religious buildings near the junction of
New Hampshire Route 111
New Hampshire Route 111 (abbreviated NH 111) is a east–west highway in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties in southeastern New Hampshire. The road runs from the Massachusetts border at Hollis to North Hampton on the Atlantic shore.
The we ...
and North Lowell Road. It stands on the northwest side of North Lowell Road, sharing a drive with the old town hall and a public works garage. It is a single-story structure, with a
fieldstone exterior and
hip roof. The roof has exposed rafter ends in the eaves, and small hip-roof
dormers on the front face. Windows consist of bands of casement windows with diamond lights. At the center of the front is the main entrance, sheltered by a project gabled
portico supported by square stone columns.
Windham's early library, founded in the 18th century, was a subscription-based project shared with the neighboring town of
Salem. Its first free public library was established in 1874 with funding from Windham native Colonel Thomas Nesmith which operated out of the town hall. In 1897, another Windham resident, George Washington Armstrong, donated funds for construction of a library building. This building was completed in 1899, designed by Windham architect William Weare Dinsmoor and built by mason Loren Emerson Bailey. The library remained here until 1997, when it moved to a modern facility on nearby Fellows Road.
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
References
{{NRHP in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
Library buildings completed in 1899
Buildings and structures in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Libraries in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
1899 establishments in New Hampshire
National Register of Historic Places in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Windham, New Hampshire
Museums in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
History museums in New Hampshire