DERRY — A group of citizens hopes to breathe new life into one of the town's most historic buildings.
Members of the East Derry Village Improvement Society (EDVIS) came before the town council requesting the chance to purchase the Upper Village Hall in East Derry.
The hall, located in the historic district of East Derry near First Parish Congregational Church and Taylor Library, has been empty since 2005.
Rebecca Rutter and Margaret Ives, members of the grassroots "Save the Upper Village Hall" Committee and the EDVIS group, told council the group was very interested in purchasing and restoring the hall.
"This is an important piece of Derry's history," Rutter, a local attorney, said. "And it's an important piece of Derry's future."
Built in 1876, Upper Village Hall, with its unique architecture and towering height, was once Derry's town hall. It also served as meeting space for the Grand Army of the Republic, Nutfield Grange, and also housed the Taylor Library for several years. Add in community dances, meetings, and political rallies, and Upper Village was a prime spot for residents to gather.
In its lifetime as a more recent meeting place, the building also was home to the Head Start preschool program, Boys and Girls Club, the Red Star Twirlers, and various other community groups.
"Given the current economic straits that the town of Derry is facing, it is understood that there is no money available for upkeep and preservation of the Upper Village Hall," Ives told council. She added she hoped the building could somehow be brought back to life to be used as a viable part of the community again.
Both Rutter and Ives urged council to put Upper Village Hall on the public hearing agenda for the July 14 council meeting. More concrete details about what East Derry Village Improvement Society members planned to do to purchase the building would be available then.
"It cries out for restoration work and loving care," Rutter said.
Ives said the building is in "urgent" need for repairs to the exterior of the building.
"It's an historic building which can enjoy a rebirth of usefulness in this community," she said.
In 2007, Upper Village Hall was named to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance's "Seven to Save" list.
Other town buildings avoided demotion efforts through the years and are now vibrant parts of Derry's landscape. Past successes like the Marion Gerrish Community Center and the Adams Building were both saved from the wrecking ball and restored as vibrant community resources, Ives noted.
The town had set aside $10,000 to demolish the hall back in 2006, Councilor Janet Fairbanks pointed out, but conversations about the fate of Upper Village Hall stalled through the years. Rutter and Ives told council they hoped to get more involvement from the public.
They invited anyone needing information about Upper Village Hall or hoping to get involved to e-mail savethehall@comcast.net.
Council will discuss Upper Village Hall at its meeting on July 14.
