Old Grafton County Courthouse - Plymouth, NH - Relocated Structures on Waymarking.com

In Plymouth, on Court Street, is the Plymouth Historical Museum, which previously was the the Old Grafton County Courthouse and moved twice to its current location.

The building is located behind the present Plymouth Town Hall, also a former courthouse, off Court Street, which ends at Rounds Hall and clocktower within Plymouth State University.

The building is a white wooden structure, one story tall. It has a hip roof, with a cupola at the center of the roof. The door is at the center of the wall facing the road. Windows flank the door. A brick chimney rises on the right side (when facing the front).

The building is listed as a contributing building for the Plymouth National Historic District and is listed in its own right. The following is an excerpt from the Plymouth Historic District nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places:

"Directly behind or to the west of the Town Hall and Courthouse is a small wooden building which symbolizes the beginning of county government in Plymouth. This is one of two original Grafton County courthouses built in 1774 (the other was destroyed long ago). Adapted as the Plymouth Public Library, this building began its existence on the site of its larger neighbor, was moved away in 1823 and became a wheelwright's shop, and was rescued, returned to its original site, and restored for use as a library in 1876. The original Grafton County Courthouse is a one story hip-roofed frame structure of square floor plan. Measuring 34 feet in breadth and depth, the building stands on a stone and brick foundation dating from 1876."

The web site for the Plymouth Historical Museum states that the original location of the courthouse was at Russell and Pleasant Streets (exact location not given). After a new courthouse was built in 1823 - the brick building next to this building that is now the town hall - the building was moved to South Main Street (exact location not given) and used as a wheelwright shop. Later, the building was purchased and moved to its present location and renovated.

I don't know how the building was moved during each trip.

The courthouse is now the Plymouth Historical Museum, open May to November.

Sources:

Plymouth Historical Museum
(visit link)

National Park Service:

Plymouth NHD
(visit link)

Old Grafton County Courthouse
(visit link)

Original Location: N 43° 45.362 W 071° 41.367 How it was moved: Other Type of move: Inside City Building Status: Museum Related Website: [Web Link]

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