Exeter Weighs Expansion of Its Historic District Protections

Exeter's planning board is considering a proposal to extend historic district protections to a stretch of riverfront buildings along the Squamscott River that currently fall outside the town's existing historic overlay, a change supporters say would preserve the visual character of one of the town's most photographed corridors.

Property owners within the proposed expansion area are split on the idea. Some support the designation, citing the marketing value historic status has provided to businesses in the existing district, while others worry that additional design review requirements would slow renovation projects and add cost to routine building maintenance.

Town planners say the proposal reflects growing recognition that Exeter's riverfront, historically defined by its academy and colonial-era architecture, is an economic asset worth protecting deliberately rather than leaving to incremental private development decisions. A public hearing on the proposed overlay expansion is expected later this year.