Adams Memorial Opera House
The Town of Derry chose North Branch Construction as Construction Manager for the $1.6 million renovation of the historical Adams Memorial Building in Derry, NH. The building was originally constructed in 1904, with money left to the town by Benjamin Adams, a distant cousin to John Quincy Adams. Over the years, the Adams Memorial Building served as Library, Town Hall, Opera House, Police Station, District Court, Chamber of Commerce, and surely has been the center of Town social activities. The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, survived fires in 1914 and 1927.Renovations included interior and exterior rehabilitation of the 16,150-square-foot, 3-story, brick-faced facility. The Opera House remained with a new elevator and handicap accessibility. The remainder of the building was totally renovated to include several new offices, an art gallery, and new dressing rooms for the Opera House. Construction began with interior demolition including the removal of jail cells which still remained in the basement level of the building. The Town of Derry and the Derry Historical Society were honored by the NH Preservation Alliance for the rehabilitation of the Adams Memorial Building in July 2001. The project was also honored by Plan NH with a 2002 of Merit Award for excellence in planning, design and development. Dave Udelsman of Udelsman Associates was the Architect for the project.
