New Boston Historical Society
New Boston, New Hampshire
Nan's House was moved across Mill Street in 1927 to its current location.
Behind the Door: 5 Mill Street — Nan's House
by Mary Atai (December 2022)
Prior to the destruction of the village in the 1887 fire, a house stood on the site where the brick Wason Memorial Building sits today, across from Dodge's Store. This was the Kelso home and Sarah Kelso was born here. She grew up to marry Neil McLane in 1849. The McLanes were a family of 14 siblings, with Neil being the oldest. They had been raised on a farm, lived very frugally, and had little schooling, but were self-taught, self-motivated, hardworking, and successful. Sarah and Neil lived in the house together for more than 50 years.
When the house burned to the ground in the village fire, it took only a few months to rebuild on the same spot. Neil and his brother, Rodney, had a factory that made doors and windows. Their shop was at the dam on the river behind the current Towne family house at 61 River Road. It is certain the windows and doors in this home came from that shop.
After George Bennett rebuilt their home, they lived there until they died, he in 1900, and she in 1901. Coincidentally, George Bennett also rebuilt the burned down church across Mill Street, giving us the current structure. No one could know then that more than a century later, these two structures would become one.
Neil and Sarah had one daughter, Marion. She married John Clark, a highly esteemed and very popular man, who was active in the church and who led musical programs there, often singing at church events. When he died in 1911, widow Clark rented the house out. Paul and Ruth Saltmarsh rented there until they later moved down Mill Street.
Why did this house get moved from its long-held location? By 1926, three Wason brothers, Robert, George, and Edward, had decided they wanted to leave a lasting memorial to the town, to honor their deceased parents, George Austin and Clara Louise Wason. They had been very prominent citizens and done much for New Boston. The sons chose to build a free-standing library in their honor, as the only library up to that time was in a small area in Dodge's Store.
The Wasons wanted the library to be in the center of town. They bought this house because of its prime location, had the back ell cut off and moved to Goffstown. The main house was moved across the street, using cribbing, and it was placed on a foundation behind the Community Church, in the spot where it remains. Wason continued to own this house and rent it out. The new structure that replaced the house was the brick library (now the Historical Society), which opened in 1927.
House-moving was not unusual in old New Boston.
When additional space was needed by the church in 1989, the Parkers were willing to sell the house to them. The money to buy the house was raised from the Centennial Building fund, using profits made from the sale of the Manse and the Parish House, kicked off by donations from Jay and Dot Marden. In addition, money was raised from the congregation.
In a ceremony attended by Governor Judd Gregg, the house became known as Nan's House in 1990. It was named for Nan Friedrich Whipple, a lifelong member and treasurer of the Community Church. And finally, the house was physically attached to the church in 2004, with the completion of the Marden Building addition, resulting in one structure.
Currently its rooms are rented by the Piscataquog Land Conservancy organization, working to conserve scenic spaces and protect land, water, and wildlife.
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