Maxfield Parrish Stage Set Project

Hidden inside the Plainfield Village Town Hall is one of America's most remarkable — and most fragile — artistic treasures.

In 1916, world-renowned artist Maxfield Parrish, a proud resident of Plainfield for 68 years, designed and painted an extraordinary stage set for the town hall: a sweeping woodland scene featuring the Connecticut River and Mount Ascutney, brought to life by an original lighting system that carries audiences from the soft gold of dawn through the deep blues of twilight. It remains the only work of Parrish's of this kind in existence — and it belongs to Plainfield.

But this irreplaceable work of art is at risk.

Wild swings in humidity and temperature, aging building systems, and the passage of more than a century have taken a toll on the stage set and the historic building that protects it. The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance recognized the urgency, designating the Plainfield Town Hall and Maxfield Parrish Stage Set as one of its "Seven to Save" in 2023.  T

Your gift to NH Gives helps on two fronts:

First, critical building upgrades — including fire alarm system improvements, humidity control, and structural repairs — will create a stable, safe environment for the stage set and increase the hall's use as a beloved community gathering place.  The Land Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) has approved a MATCHING grant of $250,000.  We need to raise $125,000 for the match.  

Second, your donation goes toward the $75,000 needed to professionally clean and conserve the stage set itself, with the painstaking restoration work carried out by art conservation specialists from the renowned Williamstown Art Conservation Center — the same experts who restored the set in the 1990s. 

Since 1995, the Plainfield Historical Society's Maxfield Parrish Stage Set Fund has been the steadfast guardian of this national treasure — raising funds, securing grants, and ensuring that Parrish's masterwork endures for future generations. This NH Gives campaign continues that three-decade commitment.

Maxfield Parrish painted Plainfield's landscape because he believed it was among the most beautiful places on earth. Help us make sure his gift to this community — and to the world — survives for another century.

Please give today. Every dollar counts.