Advocates press Select Board to protect Farley Building; board asks for quotes on fire-safety work

Tom Cook, chair of the Hollis Historic District Commission, told the Select Board the Farley Building ‘‘is a fundamental piece of Hollis history’’ and described prior town investments, stabilization work and a construction-and-bid package on file at Town Hall.

Cook and Liz Barber, who spoke on behalf of the commission, said the building — built in 1877 and listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2025 — has more than $475,000 invested in studies and planning and urged the board to address fire and security needs, include the property in long-term capital planning and support a coalition of residents to steward the building.

"Historic preservation is an investment, not a cost," Barber told the board, urging the town to "support a coalition of residents as active stewards" and to "address fire and security needs immediately." The board acknowledged the advocacy and discussed prior failed warrant efforts and the need for a clearer, sellable use and phased rehabilitation plan.

Select Board members said they would support fundraising and consider reintroducing a Farley-specific fund but asked staff to gather up-to-date cost estimates before any formal funding request. The chair said staff would obtain vendor quotes for a code-compliant fire-alarm system, heating and temporary monitoring options to inform possible inclusion in the Capital Improvement Plan or a future warrant.

Separately, Lindsey Sood, co-chair of the Old Home Days Committee, requested permission to host a farmers "exhibition" on the Farley Green on Sept. 19, 9 a.m.–noon, to highlight Hollis producers and to raise awareness of the Farley Building. Sood said the committee would collaborate with Hollis Recreation and the Agricultural Commission and encouraged use of the event to drive visitors to local museums and historic sites.

Board members and the police and fire chiefs said they need a detailed plan before approving an additional event site: organizers must present traffic control, shuttle logistics and pedestrian safety measures at the board's next meeting. The chair said the board would revisit the request after staff and organizers return with those details.

The board took no immediate vote on Farley capital spending at the meeting; it asked staff to return with vendor costs and a phasing recommendation.