A Historian’s Report on the Jaffrey Horsesheds

The Horsesheds were built privately in 1810 by 12 church members on Town of Jaffrey cemetery land. The Town in turn granted the builders a concession, “only for the space of 999 years,” on condition that they keep the stables in decent repair. The original builders, First Church members who tied up their horses and buggies in the “stables” while they attended church services in the Meetinghouse or did errands in the small village, were (east to west) Josiah Mower No.1; James Stevens No. 2; Samuel Pierce No. 3; Parker Maynard No. 4; Roger Brigham No. 5; Jerome Underwood No. 6; Eleazer Spofford No. 7; David Gillmore Jr. No. 8; David Gillmore No. 9; Edward Spaulding No. 10; Moses Worster No. 11 and Abner Spofford No. 12.

*The sign that now hangs in the Horsheds after the 1954 restoration.*

The Horsesheds’ disrepair in 1949 prompted the Town to consider tearing them down. One shed, the Mower shed No. 1, had been torn down a few years earlier to create the east gate to the Old Burying Ground. The 1949 Town Meeting voted to remove the adjacent Hearse House building. Citizens objected, however, to the demolition of all 11 of the remaining sheds. Helen E. Shattuck and Edith McCoy gave the Town the titles to their sheds which were taken down, probably No. 11 and No. 12. Eleanor Shattuck Austermann, head of an interim committee, conferred with the owners of the Horsesheds and reported “they are all agreeable to giving up their title if the sheds are to be restored as a historical monument.”

This “Horse Sheds” sign now hangs on the inside wall of the farthest shed to the west, now titled “Worster.” The sign commemorates the citizens committee whom the Town authorized in 1949 to restore the Horsesheds without any cost to the Town.

The 1949 Town Meeting appointed Carlos T. Pierce, a VIS vice president, to head the “Committee for the Restoration of the Old Meetinghouse Horsesheds.” The original committee included Delcie D. Bean Sr., Margaret G. Blaine and George B. Farnham, and later, Mrs. Graham Blaine, Josephine Blaine Wetherell (VIS president 1928-1948), Mrs. Josiah Harmar, and Miss Ruth Draper.

The Committee completed the work in 1953 at a cost of $1,801, which was privately raised. The Town said the Committee may authorize “any organized civic group or Society to see to the reconstruction and maintenance of the Horsesheds.”

On Aug. 10, 1954, VIS President John D. Johnson and the VIS agreed to take over control of the Horsesheds from the Committee. The transfer was recorded in Cheshire Deeds Volume 603/pages 420-421. Since 1954 the Horsesheds have been used for a multitude of civic events: many years of the First Church August Fair, which ran consecutively from 1916 until the 2020 fair had to be cancelled due to COVID 19; the VIS Ice Cream Social following the July 4th Reading of the Declaration of Independence, a patriotic celebration that began in 2001; VIS flea markets, and various other civic events.

In September 1969, VIS minutes report that the president, former Ambassador Robert Newbegin, said he “had been in touch with the present [lease] owners and all had expressed a willingness to transfer their interests permanently to the VIS. Mr. [Francis] Quinlan would draw up new documents for fifty dollars, and if agreed to, a plaque would be placed in the sheds expressing appreciation to members of the original Restoration Committee ...

A motion providing for the acquisition of the sheds, payment of the fee to Mr. Quinlan and the erection of the plaque was made, seconded and unanimously approved” [emphasis supplied]

The VIS reroofed the Horsesheds in 1972, 1997 and 2020. The VIS made many other structural improvements through 2014. It was decided the roof would need replacement within five years at a cost of $40,000 to $50,000. The VIS Board of Directors began to fundraise and to research the means of replacing the roof in accordance with the wishes of the Jaffrey Historic District Commission to use cedar shakes on the Horsesheds similar to those used on the Meetinghouse. The Meetinghouse was re-shingled in 2017 with old growth, Alaskan yellow cedar shakes that may last up to 40-50 years rather than the usual 20-25 years.

In November 2019 a request was sent out to VIS members and friends, noting that the VIS would match up to $10,000 in donations through the bequest of Mary Kidd. Over $20,000 was raised, thanks to the VIS’s many very generous donors including seven people who donated $1,000 or more and became VIS Life Members. Adding other money that the VIS had reserved, once again VIS members met the challenge of re-roofing the Horsesheds. The roof is warranted for 30 years and cost $41,120.