Cultural & Historic Resources Master Plan Chapter

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How well do you know Rochester's built environment? Test your knowledge on historic resources and public art installations!

Rochester is fortunate to enjoy a wealth of historic resources. The greatest concentration is found in the city center, and at the two 19th century industrial villages, Gonic and East Rochester.

Seen to the right is the 1901 Hartigan Block on North Main Street. Below are the mid-century Gonic mill and prominent cupola (c. 1880) in East Rochester.

The city enjoyed considerable prosperity at the end of the 19th century, and consequently, most of the commercial buildings in the city center were replaced between 1890 and 1910. Those replacement continue to define the character of downtown Rochester.

In 1981, the regional commission hired a professional architectural historian, Roger Brevort, to document approximately 182 structures in the downtown. City planner Nicolette Womack recently tied this data to a Google Map so that one can take a self-guided tour, or alternately, explore the city center via a  Virtual Historic Map . Obviously, there has been a few changes since 1981. There have been building losses due to fire and demolition. 

The 1981 survey was a precursor to a more ambitious undertaking, namely Mr. Brevort’s nomination of an area in the city center encompassing approximately 100 buildings to the National Register of Historic Places. The  nomination  is noteworthy for the quality of the historical research and its detailed description of architectural features. It provides an exacting snapshot of Rochester in the early 1980’s.

The City retained the services of The Preservation Company to assess  the changes in the downtown  since the 1980’s, and to update the 1981 survey. It is anticipated that the latter will be completed in 2023.

One class of historic resource that has been overlooked are the 19th century family graveyards. There a quite likely a number of these that are out of sight and undocumented as forests have grown up around them. It is a resource that is well worth exploring.

Rochester’s 19 ^th  and early 20 ^th  century buildings are adorned with certain decorative features that reflect broader cultural trends at the time of the buildings’ construction. As culture evolved over time, so too did the architectural styles that mirrored these cultural trends.

Greek Revival: During the early 19 ^th  century, the Greek Revival style was immensely popular in the US, and Rochester was no exception In part, this reflected American sympathy for the Greeks’ rebellion (1821-1829) against an autocratic Ottoman Empire. It was a movement not unlike our nation’s  current sympathies for Ukraine’s struggle. The theme in both instances was support for democracy. Thus, certain architectural motifs associated with ancient Greek temples suddenly appeared in Rochester.

By mid-century, building technology had evolved considerably, permitting innovative decorative elements such as the backets under the eaves and round-headed windows that are typical of the Italianate style (and quite popular in New England factory towns), and the French 2 ^nd  Empire that is easily recognized by its mansard roof (very popular in Paris in the 1850’s) seen here on South Main Street. The St. Charles School is another prominent example. In both instances, the buildings embrace both Italianate and 2 ^nd  Empire features.

Rochester attained the apex of its prosperity at the very beginning of the 20 ^th  century. Many of the older building came down, replaced by late Victorian commercial style structures and the neo-classical style. The latter is exemplified by the Masonic Building, shown below.

The Master Plan update will explore Rochester’s architectural evolution in greater detail. In the meantime, an excellent reference specific to Rochester is The Architectural Jewels of Rochester, by Michael Behrent.

In 1983, the US Secretary of the Interior approved Rochester’s nomination of a National Register District in the city center encompassing a number of buildings within the downtown. In the map to the right, the National Register District is shown in blue. This status offers property owners some measure of protection from federally funded or licensed initiatives such as poorly designed transportation projects, or unwanted transmission lines.

 The district also permits property owners to qualify for federal rehabilitation tax credits. This is a popular and useful tool to enable the reuse of older buildings, and sometimes makes the difference between a project that is profitable, and one that is not. At present (early 2023), the owner of the Hartigan Block on North Main Street is pursing these credits as part of his effort to make the building more useable.

Rochester’s City Council designated a local historic district pursuant to NH RSA 674:46 & 46‑a. Proposed alterations to buildings within the district are subject to review and approval by Rochester’s  Historic District Commission . The boundaries of this district do not align with those of the National Register District.

 A map of the local  Historic Overlay District  is depicted in red on the map to the right. As is the case with zoning, City Council approval would be required to amend district boundaries.

National Register Historic Districts are frequently confused with Local Historic Districts. In fact, the two are quite dissimilar.

National Register Districts offer protection from the federal government. Specifically, National Register designation protects the historic resource from federally funded or licensed actions. National Register status does not prevent a property owner from altering or demolishing structures, except in those instances where the owner has voluntarily utilized federal rehabilitation tax credits.

Local Historic Districts, on the other hand, are intended to encourage property owners from making building alterations which would harm the historic character of the district. In a Local Historic District, proposed alterations to a building's exterior must be approved by the city’s Historic District Commission prior to the issuance of a Building Permit. Unlike National Register Districts, Local Districts offer no protection from federal agencies or from state sponsored projects that are funded or licensed by the federal government.

The photo opposite depicts the north side of North Main Street between Union Street and the Square at the end of the 19th century. In fact, this parade included a contingent of Civil War veterans.

Off in the distance are the Hartigan and Elm blocks, still extant. The large wood framed building with the flagpole was the 1888 Cocheco Block (gone). Second from the right is the brick, 1856 Dodge Building in the Greek Revival style, and finally the Dodge Block (right) that would soon lose its third floor in a fire. All four masonry buildings survive to the present day.

Move the slider (opposite) from left to right to view the “then & now.”

Click and scroll through the text and images to the right to take a tour of the arts in Rochester!

To view the Arts Tour from a mobile screen,  click here .

Did you know the City has a virtual map of Public Art installations in Rochester? Click on the button below to open the map and explore these sites!

In 2021, the City adopted a Murals Ordinance ( Zoning Ordinance Section 275-227.9 ). The purpose of this ordinance is to continue visual aesthetic while allowing for creative expression in appropriate locations and with sensitivity to the Historic Downtown nature of permitted areas.

Content coming soon!

A walking tour was held on May 17th from 5pm-6:30pm. We visited several historic sites and buildings, discussed prominent architectural features, and saw some of the city's newer cultural additions: murals. Twenty-seven people attended, along with staff, consultants, and experts.

Click the button below to view draft chapters, maps, resources and references for the Cultural & Historic Resources Chapter.