| December 1998: | Inspired by a lifelong dream, Rollinsford Historical Committee member, Edward Charpentier drives to Dover, Massachusetts in search of the Colonel Paul Wentworth House. There he makes the acquaintance of the 98 year old owner of the house Mr. Frederick Blodgett who has resided there since he moved the house from Rollinsford in 1936. |
| May 1999: | Ed arranges a visit with Mr. Blodgett for members of the town and the Rollinsford Historical Committee to visit the Colonel Paul Wentworth House. |
| June 17, 1999: | Frederick N. Blodgett, a widower for 19 years, passes away and the ownership of the house passes to family heirs. |
| 2000-2001: | As a first effort to preserve the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, the Rollinsford Historical Committee (RHC) advises the heirs of the details of SPNEA's Historic Preservation Easement program, but after due consideration the contents of the house are auctioned and the house is sold out of the family. |
| Autumn 2001: | The Dover Massachusetts Historical Commission alerts the RHC that the new owner of the house, Kenneth Rendell, has applied for a demolition permit. Mr. Rendell is approached and agrees to donate the house to the town of Rollinsford's Historical Committee in its entirety if it can be removed from his premises within one year. |
| October 2001: | Members of the RHC meet with the NH Division of Historical Resources and the NH Preservation Alliance to solicit advice in undertaking the project of bringing the Colonel Paul Wentworth House back to Rollinsford, NH. |
| January 2002: | On the recommendation of the Division of Historical Resources and the Preservation Alliance the RHC contacts historic house preservation specialist Stephen Bedard to discuss moving the house back to Rollinsford. Leland Blodgett, nephew of Frederick, agrees to provide $20K towards this $40K project. |
| February 2002: | The RHC sponsors a public lecture by Stephen Bedard entitled, "Relocating the Wentworth mansion: How old buildings are moved," to garner support for the project. |
| March 16, 2002: | Rollinsford residents vote at town meeting on four warrant articles that have been proposed by the RHC including: the appropriation of $40,000 to dismantle and return the Wentworth house to Rollinsford (to be paid back when funds are raised), the approval of a 99-year lease on a 1.1 acre town owned lot directly behind the original house site, the transfer of town interests in the house to a non-profit trust, and the establishment of a trust fund to handle all grant funds and donations. |
| April 2002: | A community field trip to visit and tour the Col. Paul Wentworth House in Dover, Mass. C&J Trailways donates the use of a van and driver. |
| June 2002: | The RHC receives a $5000 planning grant from the Partnership for Effective Nonprofits to hire consultant Steve Kokolis, to assist the committee in forming a non-profit organization to oversee the restoration of the Wentworth house in Rollinsford and to govern it's future use. |
| Late June- August 2002: |
An interim committee is formed and meets through the summer to establish the new non-profit, determine its purpose, goals, mission and by-laws. The organization is named: The Association for Rollinsford Culture & History. |
| September- October 2002: |
Steven Bedard and his crew disassemble the Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Dover, Mass and move it to Rollinsford for storage. |
| October 2002: | Colonel Paul Wentworth House is declared eligible for NH Register of Historic Places contingent on the house being re-erected in Rollinsford according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Restoration. |
| October- November 2002: |
NH Land and Community Heritage Investment Program Grant application is submitted. |
| December 2002: | Additional ARCH board members are recruited from the surrounding towns of Berwick and South Berwick. |
| February 14,2003: | LCHIP grant announcements. The Colonel Paul Wentworth House project receives an award of $275,000 contingent on raising matching funds. |
| Spring 2003: | ARCH secures another grant to hire fundraising consultant Steven Kokolis June 2003: The first community fund-raiser is held: The Rollinsford House & Garden Tour raises about $2000 and generates much in the way of memberships and community support. July 2003: The Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation awards ARCH a grant of $50,000 to be paid in September. |
| Late August 2003: | Part-time project coordinator is hired for 15 hours per week. |
| Early September 2003: | Building site is cleared with much volunteer help. |
| Late September- October 2003: |
Archaeological excavation conducted by Dr. Neill De Paoli and crew of volunteers tests throughout the building site and gives go ahead for foundation. |
| June 3, 2004: | Groundbreaking at the new site. |
| October 11, 2004 | The timber frame of the main house is raised on the foundation. |
| September 25, 2005 | Though work remains to be done, the house is opened to the public for the first time. |
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