From Preservation Online, the online magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationonline.org

Dear Preservation 911,

On October 9, 2005, the infamous Columbus Day weekend storm ravaged southern New Hampshire. In the town of Alstead, more than 11 inches fell. Upstream of Alstead Village, the Cooper Hill Road culvert was overwhelmed. The causeway around the culvert, never built as a dam, failed under pressure, sending a wave of black water down the valley. Four residents died as bridges, homes, and businesses were swept away.

Two iconic images emerged in the floods aftermath; the Dean Stone Arch Bridge in Walpole downstream, and the Kmiec House, a distinctive Queen Anne in Alstead Village. The bridge, damaged beyond repair, was demolished. Only the Kmiec House remains.

The Kmiec or Alstead Flood House became a symbol of the flood on the front pages of newspapers and on the TV. The Flood House is also historic in its own right. Built decades before the Civil War, it was remodeled after a fire in the 1890s. The Flood House sports an improbable tower on its wraparound porch as well as carpenter filigree brackets. A distinctive milk house annex is attached to the east or upstream side of the house.  

The state has acquired the damaged Alstead Flood house, as well as many others, buying out affected property owners who lived along Warren Brook. At this writing, The Alstead Flood House has been vandalized by those salvaging copper pipes. The state department of transportation plans to demolish the house in the near future unless a suitable plan for a new public use is enacted.

We need help—a vision, plan, expertise, and/or funding. If interested in this worthy endeavor, contact the Friends of the Alstead Flood House, at 603-547-7375 or 603-313-8958; or e-mail us at SaveAlsteadsFloodHouse@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,
 
Steve Lindsey and Stanley Kmiec for the Friends of the Alstead Flood House

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