Milton Free Public Library |
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Early Settlement of Milton and Milton Mills Milton is in the north eastern section of Strafford County and consists of 27,000 acres. Milton was originally known as the Northeast Parish (part of Rochester). Milton was incorporated June 11, 1802. Many of the original settlers in Milton came from local area towns such as, Dover, Madbury, Rochester. Milton Mills, which is part of Milton, is located six miles north of Milton and two miles east of Route 125 on the Salmon Falls River. It was once called Shapleigh Mills. Milton Mills was an industrial town, having several saw mills, a crude woolen mill, and a distillery where whiskey was manufactured from potatoes. The woolen mill was later purchased and transformed into a lathe and turning mill. In 1847, the mill was purchased by John Townsend and used for the manufacturing of fine flannel. In 1872, Henry H. Townsend built The Miltonia Mills on the Salmon Falls River and specialized in the manufacturing of fine wool blankets. The blankets were used by Admiral Peary when he discovered the North Pole, and also by Admiral Richard Byrd on his exploration of the Antarctic. The Miltonia Mills operated until 1950 when it went bankrupt and was purchased by Green Tannery. A block printing business was built by Edward Brierly in 1850. It later became a felt mill and a shoe factory. The shoe factory operated into the 1920’s but failed during the Depression. In the late 1800’s Milton Mills had four shoe factories, two woolen mills, one felt mill, one carriage shop, many saw mills, a hotel, a tin smith shop, about five general stores, an ice cream parlor, a fruit store, a grain store and a drug store. (Source: Biographical History of the Town of Milton, 1976) The Little Red School House was built during this industrial period of Milton Mills. Educating first through high school, the building was an integral part of the community. Today, as the Milton Free Public Library, it remains a significant part of the village.
The Milton Free Public Library is affectionately known as the "Little Red School House" by the residents of Milton and Milton Mills. The Little Red School House has always been a source of pride in Milton Mills. While part of Milton, Milton Mills is and always has been a village with a different sense of community than Milton. As in the past with it’s early industry and social life, Milton Mills is a village in which everything is just a short walk away. Within a small vicinity one can find: a general store, a guitar shop, a bridal dress store, Branch Hill Farm, a post office, the Milton Free Public Library, a park next to the Salmon Falls River dam built by Samuel Palmer around 1784, and many home occupations. The Little Red School House remains a unique feature of Milton Mills; with its unique architecture of the "Second Empire" style, its bell tower and its central location. Below is a timeline of important events in the history of this building. 1875 - The school was built for grade and high school students in Milton Mills. 1902 - The school became the local grade school. The high school students went to Nute High School in Milton. 1958 - After Christmas vacation, grade school students and furniture was moved to the Milton Grade School. As a result there was a special town meeting. The parents of the grade school students did not want the school closed and their children bused to Milton. As a result, the Milton Mills grade school remained open. 1975 - Centennial celebrations were held for the school. The school got a face lift, and was painted red for the first time. At this point in time the grade school housed grades 1-3 only. 1988 - The Town of Milton again tried to close the grade school. Again there was a special town meeting and the grade school remained open. 1991 - The grade school closed. 1992 - The schoolhouse was opened as The Milton Free Public Library. 2001 - The NH Division of Historical Resources recommended the library building be eligible for the state and national Historic Registers. The foundation was stabilized and the building received a coat of paint and a new furnace. 2005 - Repairs were made for water damage from a burst pipe (winter 2003). The second story support was strengthened and the first floor got a new tin ceiling. 2006 - Renovations were completed to make the downstairs bathroom handicap accessible. (Source: Town records and the Milton Historical Society)
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