At 16 Main Street in Hooksett Village stands a timeless brick structure—closed for the last sixteen years, but far from forgotten to those who remember this beautiful building. To some, it’s just an old neglected building with no meaning. But to others, it holds echoes of wedding vows, court decisions, town debates, musical performances, and late-night knocks on a jail cell door.
This is Hooksett’s Old Town Hall, built in 1828 from clay pulled right from our own banks of the Merrimack River, formed and fired at the Head Brick Yard—the same source of brick that built Manchester’s towering Amoskeag Mills. A piece of Hooksett’s legacy, forged with Hooksett hands.
For 197 years, the Old Town Hall was more than a town office. It was our first police station, courthouse, jail, wedding venue, performance hall, and community gathering space. Its basement still contains the original jail cells, where Hooksett’s early police officers would hold the unruly overnight until someone came to fetch them.
Upstairs, past the doors and tin ceilings, stood a raised singing gallery—overlooking a small stage where choirs once sang, selectmen addressed residents, and couples said “I do.” It is, simply put, the soul of Hooksett—but one that’s been shuttered since 2008, left behind in a fast-growing town that sometimes forgets the significance of its roots. This is the way we foster the “small town feel” people crave.
A Chapter Closes…
and a New One Begins
In 2008, after nearly two centuries of service, the town determined that the Old Town Hall no longer met its needs. The building was overcrowded, and the nearby Hooksett Village School at 35 Main Street—recently closed—offered more space for modern municipal operations. So, the decision was made: 16 Main Street would close.
For many, that decision marked the end of an era. But for a small group of passionate residents, it was the beginning of a new chapter.
A Champion for Preservation
In 2009, the Old Town Hall Preservation Committee (OTHPC) was formed with the mission of stabilizing, preserving, and reactivating this beloved landmark. Early members included Kathie Northrup, longtime chair of the Hooksett Heritage Commission, as well as James Sullivan and Denise Pichette-Volk. Together, they worked to peel back decades of renovations and restore the building’s original charm.
With guidance from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, they oversaw the careful removal of the second floor, revealing the once-hidden tin ceiling that still stretches high above the main hall today. They brought in structural engineers, completed hazardous material inspections, and stabilized key areas of the building—laying the groundwork for future restoration.
Their efforts paid off with just under $30,000 in total grant funding over the next decade, including:
A $10,000 Moose Plate Grant to restore the original tin ceiling
A $19,000 LCHIP Grant in 2015 to replicate and install tall, arched windows
A $9,700 LCHIP Grant in 2019 to restore the intricate millwork in the singing gallery above the stage
Open houses, community events, and creative fundraising—like the popular Town Family Feud nights—all helped to build momentum. But as time passed and key members stepped away, including Kathie Northrup (who sadly passed away in 2022), progress slowed.
The Restoration Roadblock
In 2019, a $300,000 phase-one funding proposal to advance the building’s restoration was brought to voters—but failed to pass. The reason? Many residents didn’t fully understand the vision. Without clear community outreach or consensus on what the building could become, public support faltered. I believe that we can do a better job at getting the community bought into this concept of restoration as long as we come up with a use that is widely thought of as beneficial. I believe that the meetinghouse concept is not the best approach for the widest benefit to the community. Why would voters approve a $300,000 expenditure for the partial renovation for end use as a meeting space? I don’t see it personally and I think that is the same sentiment that many voters shared at the time.
In early 2025, the Town Hall Preservation Committee revisited that conversation with a community survey of which only 34 participants participated. The results showed a town divided:
• 42% supported selling the building
• 36% did not support any restoration funding
• 76% said they would not support a tax increase to fund the project
Despite those numbers, a new conversation has begun.
A New Vision: Heritage, Culture, and Connection
Today, there is a different discussion—led in part by myself and others on the Hooksett Heritage Commission—to reimagine the Old Town Hall not just as a meeting space, but as a Heritage and Cultural Center, connected directly to the neighboring Arah W. Prescott Historical Library. This small brick and granite one room building served as the town’s first library and is stunning inside and out. It does lack restrooms and plumbing so this limits the use of this building currently, as well as the size being roughly only 400 sq. feet. However, if we were to combine the two historic buildings into a Hooksett Heritage and Cultural Center for The Arts I believe this could open up opportunities for a Cultural and Historical Campus at 16 Main St that sits atop the hill overlooking the rest of the village.
This expanded vision could turn the historic 1936 addition off the Old Town Hall into a climate-controlled museum space—something desperately needed for our Hooksett Historical Society, which currently operates in just 400 square feet with no preservation-grade conditions. Inside this addition holds the town’s vault which could be used as a fun exhibit.
Inside the hall, imagine Live music, art shows, and open mic nights, Weddings, baby showers, and town fundraisers, Rotating exhibits on local history and student art, Gallery nights for local artists and makers, The town’s annual Festival of Trees, lit warmly under the tin ceiling during Light Up The Village and meetings for local groups and neighbors. The hall could be a very open and flexible space that shifts for the needs of the community as it always has while holding space on the walls for art and heritage gallery space at the same time.
This isn’t just about preserving a building. It’s about creating a cultural anchor—a community hub that offers something “special” in a town full of banks, pharmacies, and strip malls. It’s about giving Hooksett a space with character, history, and heart.
Add Your Voice
As publisher of The Hooksett Bridge and a lifelong resident of this community, I’m asking you to share your voice. Let’s come together and reimagine what’s possible for our Old Town Hall. Let’s honor the work of those who came before us—and do something bold and lasting for those who will come after. Please note that I am not a member of the Old Town Hall Preservation Committee and am writing this article for the benefit of the townspeople to learn about this building, and encourage the community to get more involved in this endeavor. I believe that it is best to have more voices heard than only a select few. So please, share your voice as it relates to this topic and I will share all of this feedback with the proper people. Through your feedback I believe the committee will have a better understanding and pulse for what the community is looking for.
Share your thoughts, ideas, and offers of support with me directly: publisher@thehooksettbridge.org
Because Hooksett’s past doesn’t have to be a relic. It can be the foundation of something extraordinary—if we dare to believe in it again. Let’s bring our history home. Let’s give 16 Main Street its voice back.
