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FROM NOVEMBER 2005:
TUCK MUSEUM IN HAMPTON RESTORING "LEAVITT BARN" AS PERMANENT EXHIBIT
NALF TO CONTRIBUTE $250 TO "BARNRAISING" FUND
The NALF publishes the newsletter quarterly. While some of this information is also published on this website, the newsletter offers expanded news and information about the NALF such as copies of emails received from across the country and other correspondence.

In addition to this newsletter mailed, our President Roland Rhoades has instituted an email newsletter to update members between the quarterly issues.  If you are a member and have not yet received this e-news, please contact Roland to be added to the list.

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After dismantling and relocating an 18th century barn from its previous location on Drakeside Road to the grounds of the Tuck Museum, the Hampton Historical Society now needs to raise the funds necessary to fully restore the historical structure.  Members of the Seacoast area community are invited to contribute much-needed donations to help bring the HHS’s barn project to its completion.

According to the Historical Society, the barn was built in 1796 as an addition to a tavern owned by the Leavitt family.  Moses Leavitt, son of Hezron (2), opened a tavern on Country Road, (now Post Road) just North of the Marston Garrison, shortly after 1700.  Later, after Moses died, his widow (Mary Carr Leavitt) continued to operate the tavern, much to the satisfaction of the Puritan settlers who did not regard the occupation as unseemly for women.  On a Sunday morning in March 1733, the tavern caught fire and burned to the ground while nearly everybody in the North Division (of Hampton) was attending church in Hampton.  In the absence of husky Yankee men, the Widow Leavitt lost almost everything.  Since the tavern performed a valuable service to travelers, and more importantly, provided a cozy setting for the farmers’ only social life, the next day the widow’s neighbors gathered and in a few days built her a spacious, two storey tavern.  Her son, Captain John, succeeded her as taverner at the site.  Emily Noyes in her genealogy of Thomas Leavitt (1), adds the note:  "Although many of the citizens made their mark in signing papers the Leavitts signed their names.  John signed an agreement with town citizens to aid in the fight against the Indians."

This Historical Society thinks Capt. Caleb Toppan, a merchant from Newburyport, built the barn in 1796, but research is ongoing.  The President of the Historical Society said the barn was used to house a couple of cows, horses and a carriage.

In 1988, the house and barn were sold to the law firm of Sanders & McDermott, which in turn sold it in 2004.  the Society acquired the barn last year after new owners threatened to demolish it.  The Historical Society and the Heritage Commission worked out a deal that allowed them to remove the barn, piece by piece.

The effort to raise money to restore the barn began last year.  As of early June the Society had raised $21,000 of the $60,000 it needs.  The area has been cleared and the foundation poured.  Much of the project, however, will be put on hold until more money is raised.

Historical Society President Sammi Moe said that after the barn is rebuilt it will be used as an educational, display and community space.

[Visit the links below to see how you can help with this project.]

Moe says donors of $100 or more will be listed on a plaque in the barn.

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