The Wilton Heritage Commission was established by the town to identify and protect Wilton's historically and culturally significant sites and buildings through consultation with other town agencies as well as private citizens who wish to preserve these special resources. The Commission meets every third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Historical Society rooms in the Library; these meetings are open to the public and we welcome your participation in our work.
Heritage Commission is looking for new members
We are seeking Wilton residents interested in our mission (see above) to join the Commission. Commissioners are appointed by the Select Board, for a three-year rotating term. To find out about the Heritage Commission goals, focus and projects we encourage you to attend our monthly meetings, read our agenda and meeting minutes on this site, or contact a commissioner. If you are interested, send an email with your interest and experience to [email protected].
Historic House Plaques
The Wilton Heritage Commission has designed Historical House Plaques for purchase by homeowners. If you own a house built on or before 1900 and would like to participate in our house plaque fundraiser, please contact us at [email protected].
The cost of a new or replacement plaque is $100. This contribution enables the Wilton Heritage Commission to continue our mission to identify and protect historical sites and buildings.
Historic Markers
On display as you wander through Wilton are marker signs which will give both the visitor and the resident glimpses into many fascinating aspects of our town's history. A Self-Guided Tour of Historic Wilton -- a map and guide containing information about these markers and other pieces of Wilton's history -- is available for a nominal fee at Town Hall or the Historical Society's rooms on the top floor of the Library. For photos and descriptions of all 22 markers, click HERE.
National and State Register of Historic Places
There are several private properties in Wilton that are on the N.H. State Register of Historic Places, including Four Corners Farm, over which the Heritage Commission has responsibility for ensuring compliance with an LCHIP conservation easement. We are also fortunate to have seven structures on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Country Farm Bridge, Frye's Measure Mill, Hamblett-Putnam-Frye House, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, Stonyfield Farm, Oliver Whiting Homestead, and the Town Hall. More information about many of these can be found in the Visitors section of this website, under Historic Attractions.
Previous News
Heritage Commission awards $5,000 college scholarship
Photo on right is of Stanley Young, Deb Mortvedt and Madeleine Straw.
On May 21, 2022 former Heritage Commission Chair Stanley Young presented a $5,000 scholarship to Madeleine Straw. Madeleine has lived in Wilton all her life, and plans to attend Rivier University in Nashua and major in Social Studies Education. This scholarship was established by the Wilton Heritage Commission as a result of 
a fund raising effort after the World Premier of the film Wilton-Lyndeborough A Shared History in October of 2021. Also attending the ceremony were current Heritage Commission members Donna Crane and David Potter, scholarship committee member Deb Mortvedt, and former Heritage Commission Chair Michael Dell’Orto.
Madeleine was also presented with an historic 1892 check for $100 as a memento.
Heritage Commission sponsors public lecture on energy efficiency and old houses
On May 9th, 2022 the Wilton Heritage Commission sponsored a public lecture in the Wilton Collaborative Space from Elizabeth Paliga of Historic New England concerning issues that homeowner face in how to make older or historic homes more energy efficient without sacrificing character and charm. The lecture presented a historic preservation perspective on insulation, air sealing, mechanical upgrades, and other energy retrofit opportunities in your older home.
The session was well-attended, and ended with an informative and lively question-and-answer session!
Elizabeth Paliga joined Historic New England in 2021 as the Preservation Services Manager for Northern New England. Elizabeth previously worked with local governments in Scotland to protect vulnerable properties from insensitive alteration. She holds a MSc in Architectural Conservation from the University of Edinburgh and two BAs, in Archaeology and Architectural Studies, from Boston University.
Worldwide Movie Premiere
The movie "Wilton-Lyndeborough: A Shared History" sponsored by the Wilton and Lyndeborough Heritage Commissions had its worldwide premiere at the Town Hall Theater on October 23rd at 12:30 and 2:00 p.m. It was also shown on November 5th at 9:30 a.m. in a special screening for the 4th and 5th graders and their teachers.
Directed by former High Mowing student and current NYU film student Kirill Bykanov, this 35-minute film was produced for the students studying New Hampshire history at Florence Rideout Elementary School, exploring the fascinating history of these two beautiful towns in New Hampshire using many of their historic markers.
The film premiere also raised funds for a college scholarship for a Wilton or Lyndeborough student, in honor of former Wilton Heritage Commission chair Stanley T. Young. Donations are still being accepted, and can be made out to the Wilton Lions Charitable Foundation, and mailed to our address at the bottom of this page.
Check out the movie below!
Commission Members
| Name |
Title/Term Expires |
| Deborah Mortvedt |
Chair |
| Donna Crane |
Secretary |
| OPEN |
Treasurer |
| Donny Lewis |
Member |
| OPEN |
Member |
| OPEN |
Member |
| Tom Schultz |
Member and Select Board Representative |