In the backstage area of the Peterborough Town House, with holiday decorations sitting on top of it, is one of Peterborough’s historic treasures, an antique Chickering piano

“Until about eight or 10 years ago, were will still using that piano at least monthly for our folk dances,” said Lisa Sieverts of the Monadnock Folklore Society. “It’s been used by countless other groups and for hundreds of other events over the years.”

The piano is known in the contra dancing community as “Johnny Trombly’s piano.” Johnny Trombly was a piano player in Ralph Page’s orchestra, which led the resurgence American of folk and contra dancing out of Nelson through the 1960s.

The late Bob McQuillen, a nationally renowned composer and dance caller, played the piano at decades of Peterborough contra dances.

However, at some point, the piano was damaged when being moved from the stage to the floor of the town house.

“It’s had a hard life,” Sieverts said.

The piano is about to get a new lease on life, though, as the Town of Peterborough has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the New Hampshire State Council of the Arts to put toward restoration.

Alison Kreutz, assistant to Town Administrator Nicole MacStay, reported at the Jan. 2 Select Board meeting that Peterborough applied for the grant at the suggestion of Sieverts, who notes the piano has great historic value, particularly with the history of contra dancing in Peterborough.

“We have a full century of continuous folk history with that piano and Peterborough contra dances,” Sieverts said.

When she researched the piano at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, Sieverts learned that the instrument was gifted to Peterborough at the dedication of the Town House in 1913, but there is no written record of who made the donation. A piano restorer recently estimated that the piano was built in the 1890s. Chickering & Sons were the first piano manufacturers in the United States.

The estimated total cost of the repairs, which will be shared by the Monadnock Folklore Society, is $45,000.

“Restoring the piano is by far the most cost-effective solution, as compared to buying a new grand piano. The restorer said we could never buy a new piano as good as this one. It’s very special,” Sieverts said.

As owner of the piano, which is available to members of the public, the town of Peterborough was required to apply for the grant, with the Monadnock Folklore Society committing to raising the rest of the funds needed for the restoration. The town has committed to the proper maintenance, storage and care of the piano going forward. Kreutz said that while the grant specifies that the funds must be used by Oct. 24, 2024, the town has been assured that there is mechanism to get an extension due to the extensive amount of restoration work needed.

Kreutz noted that other than the time of town employees, no tax funds will be used for the restoration of the piano.

The Peterborough Select Board voted unanimously to accept the grant funds for the restoration of the piano. Assistant Town Administrator Seth McLean will be project leader for the restoration.

Sieverts said the Monadnock Folklore Society is applying for other grants to cover the remainder of the cost of the restoration and is also launching a fundraising campaign. For information, go to monadnockfolk.org.