[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE WASHINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE MEETINGHOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLES F. BASS

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Mr. BASS of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate 
the 225th birthday of the Washington, New Hampshire Meetinghouse on 
August 11, 1787. In 1752, Governor Jonathan Belcher granted a charter 
to the settlement that was later established as the town of Washington, 
New Hampshire--named for our first president, George Washington.
  The original charter decreed that ``a Convenient Meeting house be 
built.'' The colonial-style, wooden structure henceforth erected has 
remained largely unchanged in both appearance and purpose. Although a 
tower was added in 1825, the meetinghouse retains its original 
exterior. Inside, the building has adapted to the community's needs, 
continuously serving as church, cultural center, school, and Town Hall 
for over two centuries.
  The meetinghouse is a foundational establishment, fostering the civic 
growth of Washingtonians who have contributed to both our state and 
nation through their work as service members, small businessmen, 
farmers, educators, lawyers, ministers, and doctors. Merging its 
natural beauty with its dedicated and lively community, the town of 
Washington is truly representative of the best qualities of the State 
of New Hampshire.
  Mr. Speaker, I join the people of the Granite State in congratulating 
the town of Washington on the 225th birthday of its Meetinghouse. This 
tribute celebrates the history and birth of political discourse in the 
United States with Meetinghouses, and honors these institutions as 
symbols of American freedom and independence, whose creation and 
preservation are reminders of the founding of our country.

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