Built in 1770 by settlers from Durham and nearby towns, the New Durham Meetinghouse served as both a house of worship and the seat of government until 1819, when the town's first church was built. This area remained the town center until the 1850's, when the arrival of the railroad favored development in the Plains. The meetinghouse was reduced to one story in 1838, vacated in 1908, and listed on the National Registry in 1980.