Millyard wins National Award
By JOHN WHITSON
Union Leader Staff
Manchester ? The Millyard is getting a national reputation.
A group of city and state leaders are in Pittsburgh today to accept an Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The award, one of about 15 bestowed annually nationwide, recognizes the transformation of the world's largest 19th-century millworks into a hub of Manchester's business community.
"America is dotted with impressive mills, but Amoskeag tops them all," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
"The immense scale of this project -- finding productive uses for four million square feet of space -- is a credit to the visionary people of Manchester who led this preservation effort.
"What was a few decades ago merely a group of decaying mill buildings has been transformed back into what it once was -- a thriving economic engine and a center of life in this community."
The Honor Award doesn't come with grant money or tax credits for development. But there are tangible benefits.
"It will be used for marketing," said David Beauchene, an urban planner and historic preservation specialist with the city planning office. "Owners and real estate people feel that it adds value."
Mayor Frank Guinta will accept the award on behalf of the city this afternoon.
Manchester's Millyard, looming behind the Mill Girl statue, is receiving an Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation today. (THOMAS ROY)
But the winning effort, from submitting the application to gaining key endorsements and compiling voluminous material in support of the nomination, came from RiverStone Resources.
RiverStone moved its headquarters in 1999 from Chicago to the Millyard, and company officials adopted the Honor Award project as their own.
The insurance company leases 100,000 square feet of mill space and spent $5 million after its move on architectural renovation with historic preservation in mind.
Bob Kant, an assistant vice president at RiverStone, said the company invested time and money on the project because the award can be a point of pride for the city and a boon to the Millyard.
"We felt we needed to give something back to the community," said Kant, "and it has to help with economic development."
Gaining the award has been a long-term project. Kant said company officials began working years ago with former Mayor Bob Baines, gained political support from Gov. John Lynch and got local historians on board.
"Getting everybody on the same page "? is often very difficult to do," said Kant. "There has been a time effort and some cost, but I'm sure it's insignificant in comparison to the benefit that Manchester will receive."
Gail Colglazier, executive director of Manchester Historic Association, said the news reinforces the Millyard's import, past and present, in shaping Manchester.
"It acknowledges the important role that the Millyard played in the history of the city," said Colglazier. "It acknowledges what different entities have done in recent years to preserve the Millyard and make it a viable part of the community."
Beauchene said he hopes the Honor Award nudges the Millyard toward getting named to the National Register of Historic Places, something he thinks is long overdue.
"This is literally the cradle of the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century in our country," he said.
The Honor Award, said Beauchene, is a prize unto itself and is not a stepping stone to being named to the National Register.
"But if the national trust people are recognizing us for this "?," he said, "isn't it unfortunate that we aren't taking that extra step?"
The only roadblock is getting the various mill building owners to agree to pushing for the designation, said Beauchene. A small percentage of owners, he said, feel being on the National Register would impede their development rights.
"I don't know how that could be the case," said Beauchene. "I'm hopeful that there will soon be a unified ownership voice in the Millyard toward this end."