N.H. Town Wants Taxes From Artist Colony

[emad]

N.H. Town Wants Taxes From Artist Colony

Saturday November 12, 2005 3:16 PM


By HOLLY RAMER

Associated Press Writer

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (AP) - At the MacDowell Colony, where isolation spurs inspiration, artists emerge from their cottages at midday to find picnic baskets left quietly on their doorsteps. But when it comes to property taxes, the town insists there's no such thing as a free lunch.

For nearly a century, the famed artists' retreat has welcomed thousands of writers, composers and others who enjoy up to two months of rent-free solitude and support. Within its rustic stone and clapboard cottages, Thornton Wilder wrote ``Our Town,'' Aaron Copland composed ``Appalachian Spring'' and Dobuse and Dorothy Heyward wrote ``Porgy and Bess.'' More recently, Jonathan Franzen finished writing ``The Corrections'' and Alice Sebold worked on ``The Lovely Bones.''

For decades, the town considered the colony a tax-exempt charitable organization. But after reviewing similar groups from the hospital to the historical society, the Board of Selectmen decided the colony no longer is eligible for the exemption.

State law defines a charitable organization as one that advances ``the spiritual, physical, intellectual, social or economic well-being of the general public or a substantial and indefinite segment of the general public that includes residents of the state of New Hampshire.''
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5410445,00.html

[Francesca]

1. I live in Peterborough

quite a few residents are upset by the towns recent position. My personal opinion is that they are a wonderful asset to the town and qualify as a charitable organization....