North Hampton Farm Named a Historic Place

The Gov. Charles Dale Estate, a 52-acre plot of farmland in North Hampton, has officially been named to the New Hampshire Register of Historic Places, according to a release from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources.

The property, also referred to as Gov. Dale Farm, is currently being considered for a conservation easement to protect the site from subdivision and development. North Hampton voters will be asked at the town meeting polls on March 12 to approve a — which would cost the average homeowner a one-time $60 increase in his or her taxes — to complete that easement.

Designation of a historical place acknowledges a property's "historical significance in the community," among other things, according to NHDHR. Other local properties on the state registry include North Hampton Town Hall.

More on Gov. Dale Farm from NHDHR:

The Governor Charles Dale Estate, in North Hampton, shows the common evolution of a 19th century working farm into a 20th century “gentleman’s farm” or estate. Charles Milby Dale purchased the property in 1941 and hired prominent colonial revival architect Royal Barry Wills to design a new house for it. An attorney, Dale was prominent in New Hampshire politics, serving as mayor of Portsmouth, state senate president, executive councilor, and governor from 1945-49.