JAFFREY CENTER VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY
A volunteer organization dedicated since 1906 to preserving and celebrating the historical and natural environment, and the community of Jaffrey Center, New Hampshire.
The Jaffrey Center Village Improvement Society was organized in 1906. In the 1920s, it was instrumental in renovating the Meetinghouse and turning Melville Academy, built in 1833 as a private high school and later a public elementary school, into a museum.
Since its founding in 1906, the JCVIS, also known as the VIS, has bought or been given properties restricted in perpetuity for public use as parks, viewsheds, and open spaces, plus two historic buildings: the Melville Academy and the Horsesheds building. The Horsesheds stand on Jaffrey Town land. The JCVIS currently owns 22.5 acres of open space and holds conservation easements on 35.1 acres owned by local residents.
The Jaffrey Town Meeting established the Jaffrey Historical District Commission in 1969, and in 1970, it designated the neighborhood as the Jaffrey Center Historic District. In 1975, the Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mission
Maintaining the beauty, history and history of this community in perpetuity is the essence of the mission of the Jaffrey Center Village Improvement Society. The VIS is dedicated to:
Maintaining the beautiful views of Mt. Monadnock.
Beautifying a historic neighborhood of 18th and 19th century houses.
Enlivening community life and spirt.
Displaying and teaching the history of the community.
Generations of generous and public-spirited volunteers have striven to fulfill this JCVIS mission.