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Poet Donald Hall's Historic Farmhouse to be Preserved

Britta Greene
/
New Hampshire Public Radio
An estate sale at Hall's former home drew hundreds of people to Wilmot, New Hampshire last weekend.

A New Hampshire couple has purchased the former home of renowned poet Donald Hall. Hall died last year, leaving behind a historic farmhouse in the town of Wilmot.

Until this spring, it was unclear what would become of the house and property, which features prominently in Hall's work.

Lynne Monroe, who has worked for years on historic preservation projects across New England, said she heard through friends that the property was going on the market only about two weeks ago.

She sprang into action, she said, talking with others who felt strongly that Hall’s longtime home needed to be protected.

"It's the heart of it. It's where it all happened. It’s where the story is,” she said. “Donald’s poems, writings, essays were all about place.”

She and her husband, Frank Whittemore, purchased the home for $395,000 as a short-term solution. They plan to transfer it into permanent preservation at a later date.

They’re working with a coalition of non-profits and private individuals interested in memorializing Hall’s life and legacy in New Hampshire. The group has come together only in the last few weeks, and plans for a museum collection are still being worked out. 

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