CANAAN — The town has received a $74,000 grant to put toward much-needed repairs on its historic 1793 meeting house.

The funding for the Canaan Meeting House, located on Canaan Street across from the Canaan Street beach and Canaan Historical Society, comes from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, commonly known as LCHIP.

Last year, the Canaan Meeting House Preservation Committee launched a $200,000 fundraising campaign and, with the LCHIP grant, has now raised about $170,000.

“We look forward to another century or two of the meeting house,” said John Bergeron, who chairs the committee.

Area businesses, foundations, the town of Canaan and private citizens have also contributed to the campaign. The committee has also applied for funding through the Moose Plate Grant Program, which is funded by New Hampshire residents who buy Moose License Plates for their vehicles.

“Every little bit has helped us get this far,” said Susan Nero, a member of the meeting house committee.

The meeting house is used for a variety of events including the Canaan Meetinghouse Reading Series hosted by the Canaan Town Library in the summer. Weddings, memorial services and other celebrations are also held there.

“It’s a great place for concerts,” said Nero.

The Canaan Meeting House was one of 26 recipients of LCHIP grants totaling $3.3 million to support historic building projects and land conservation efforts around New Hampshire, according to a news release from Paula Bellemore, LCHIP’s executive director.

Claremont’s Trinity Episcopal Church, the only other Upper Valley awardee, received $10,000 to repair two chimneys and “fund further study which will guide future preservation work,” according to the release.

In Canaan, the money will be used to address a variety of upgrades, including replacing windows and wooden floorboards, as well as addressing drainage surrounding the building, Bergeron said.

Stabilizing the belfry and bell tower are the most pressing issues.

“Replacing the posts in the belfry is the biggest effort,” Bergeron said in a phone interview last week about the 22-foot wooden beams that support the bell tower at the top of the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The contractors “have to get a crane here to pull the belfry off, put it down on the ground and work on the upper structure.”

The goal is to start the work in fall of 2025, he added.

The meeting house also underwent improvements this year: workers installed a new sound system and a new sump pump, Bergeron said.

“All too often when you rip into one item to fix something you find something below the surface that needs further attention,” Bergeron said. “That’s always a risk with projects.”

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.