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 Updated: 5/17/2011 
New Hampshire Historical Society
Concord, New Hampshire
Description

We love New Hampshire. And, we've been saving its history for nearly two centuries. Since 1823, the New Hampshire Historical Society has been preserving our state's past and telling its rich stories to each generation. Nowhere will you find a more extensive collection of objects and archives related to New Hampshire's history. Each year, the Society uses its vast collection to serve thousands of members and visitors through our research library, museum, publications, and outreach programs. And, our education programs touch the lives of children from virtually every community across the state. The Society is an independent, nonprofit organization, not a state-funded agency. All of our work to save, preserve, and share New Hampshire's past depends on contributions from people like you. To our members, we say thank you. And, to all others who share our love of New Hampshire, we invite you to discover us today! Mission The mission of the New Hampshire Historical Society's is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today. In support of this mission, the Society collects, preserves, and interprets materials pertaining to New Hampshire history. Collections The Society is the state's premier organization collecting, preserving, and sharing Granite State history. Its museum and library offer the most extensive collection of resources and materials related to New Hampshire history that can be found anywhere. For close to two centuries, the Society has gathered objects, books, manuscripts, and images that tell New Hampshire's story. The collections include 30,000 museum objects, 50,000 printed volumes, 1.5 million pages of manuscripts, 800,000 pages of newspapers, 200,000 photographic images, 10,000 broadsides and ephemera items. Ranging in date from pre-contact to the present day, the Society's holdings reflect broadly the state's economic, political, social, and cultural history. Research Services The New Hampshire Historical Society's staff is prepared to assist you in general research on New Hampshire history and genealogy by using any sources found in our library or museum. Research services can be ordered online and by telephone or mail. For details, see the Research Services page of this Web site or contact Librarian Bill Copeley at bcopeley@nhhistory.org or 603/856-0641 or Library Director Peter Wallner at pwallner@nhhistory.org or 603/856-0643. Facilities The Society owns three properties all centrally located in Concord, New Hampshire's capital city: (1) a 1911 library designed by Guy Lowell; (2) a mid-19th-century commercial structure renovated and opened as the Society's museum in May 1995; and (3) the Eagle Stable, a brick building adjacent to the museum, purchased in October 1993 and currently used as office rental space. Exhibitions The Society's museum features the long-term overview called New Hampshire Through Many Eyes. The museum also offers changing exhibitions on a variety of topics. Several items from the museum collection, including paintings, furniture, the original eagle from the New Hampshire State House, and Revolutionary War flags can be seen at the Society's library. Temporary exhibitions are also featured in the library's gallery. In addition, the Society develops traveling exhibitions. Education The Society offers a variety of educational programs, including school tours at the museum, outreach programs to classrooms across the state, workshops, lectures, demonstrations, courses, family days, and technical workshops for local historical societies and libraries. The Society published the state's first-ever New Hampshire history curriculum for grades K-12. Publications The Society's publishes a semi-annual journal, Historical New Hampshire, and a quarterly newsletter featuring information on the Society's events and activities. These publications are two of the many benefits of membership in the Society. Additional special publications include exhibition catalogs, gallery brochures, and school activity guides. The Society's publications have received awards from the American Association for State and Local History. Governing Board and Staff The Society is governed by a 19-member Board of Trustees. The Society employs 13 full-time and 25 part-time staff, assisted by 80 volunteers. Fellowships Along with 18 other cultural organizations, the New Hampshire Historical Society is a member of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium, which offers grants for projects that draw on the collections and resources of the collaborating organizations. Join Us! All of the New Hampshire Historical Society's programs and services are made possible by membership dues and contributions from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Free admission to the Society's museum and library are two of the many benefits of membership. You are invited to join today! Call the membership department at 603/856-0621 or use our convenient and secure online membership form. Accreditation The New Hampshire Historical Society is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Mission

The mission of the New Hampshire Historical Society's is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today. In support of this mission, the Society collects, preserves, and interprets materials pertaining to New Hampshire history.

Artifact Collections

About the Museum The New Hampshire Historical Society serves thousands of children and adults each year through its museum, library, educational programs, and award-winning publications. The Society's museum, located at 6 Eagle Square in Concord, offers exhibitions on the state's heritage and traditions as well as a variety of programs for children and adults. The museum store features an extensive selection of New Hampshire's books, gifts, and custom products. The museum is fully accessible. Current Exhibitions Icons of History: Objects that Define New Hampshire, Part I (through December 31, 2011) Faces of New Hampshire: Portraits from the New Hampshire Historical Society Collection (through July 23, 2011) Pulled into History (ongoing) The "Mystery Stone" (ongoing) New Hampshire Through Many Eyes (ongoing) Visit us! Free Museum Admission Special Online Exhibitions Consuming Views: Art & Tourism in the White Mountains, 1850-1900 Marian Cannon Schlesinger Collection George C. Soule Collection Satellite & Traveling Exhibitions On the Trail: The Photographs of Ralph C. Larrabee and the Appalachian Mountain Club (at the Appalacian Mountain Club's Highland Center, Crawford Notch, NH) The White Mountains of New Hampshire (at the Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods) Upcoming Exhibitions Icons of History: Objects that Define New Hampshire, Part II (September 10, 2011, through July 7, 2012) Past Exhibitions

Research Collections

The Society's printed collection, numbering about 50,000 items, is the most comprehensive resource in northern New England in the areas of New Hampshire and New England local history and genealogy. Highlights of the collection include: Over 5,000 genealogies, many unpublished, of New England families. Over 4,000 biographical works. About 3,000 volumes of periodicals on New England history and genealogy. Over 200 volumes of manuscript church records from all parts of New Hampshire. Compilations, mostly unpublished, of cemetery records from over 100 New Hampshire towns. The largest existing collection of New Hampshire newspapers from 1756 to 1900, amounting to about 800,000 pages. A unique card index of about 30,000 "New Hampshire notables," gathered from such sources as biographical dictionaries, local histories, and obituaries. Our services to the public include: Access to the Society's printed collection, maps, broadsides, manuscripts, and ephemera through our online catalog. Photocopies and paid research by professional staff, by mail, or fax. Photocopy charges are 35 cents per page for nonmembers and 25 cents for members plus a service charge of $7 for mailing or fax. Research time is billed at $30 an hour for members and $40 for nonmembers. Basic information on New Hampshire history to schoolchildren, by mail or fax, at no charge. A current list of professional researchers in New Hampshire, by mail, fax, or e-mail at no charge. Advice on care and repair of old paper items, by mail, fax, telephone, or e-mail at no charge.

Programs

Guided Gallery Tours Traveling Programs Scheduling a Program Resources For Teachers and Learners CD-ROM Information Online Catalog of New Hampshire Historical Society Library and Museum Collections Museum Store Resources for Teachers New Hampshire History Curriculum for Grades K-6 Contact Us Education Director: Stephanie Skenyon Tel: 603/856-0611 Education Services Coordinator: Christopher MacLeod Tel: 603/856-0604 (morning hours)

Facilities
Auditoriums
Lecture Halls
Governance

Board of Trustees President Barbara A. Pitsch, Bedford Education consultant Vice-President Stanley A. Hamel, Seabrook Private investor Vice-President David H. Watters, Dover Professor of English and American Studies, University of New Hampshire Treasurer Michael C. Sununu, Newfields Associate, Sununu Enterprises Secretary Donald E. Gartrell, Warner Attorney, founder, and director, Gallagher, Callahan, & Gartrell, P.A. Joel J. Bedor, Littleton CPA, co-owner Mt. Washington Cog Railway Kathleen A. Belko, New London Past executive director, New Hampshire Antiquarian Society, community volunteer Q. David Bowers, Wolfeboro Chairman, Stacks, numismatist, author Glenn K. Currie, Concord Investment and financial consultant, author Jane S. Keough, Dublin Community volunteer Margaret Marshall, Conway Principal, Abbott's Dairy, community volunteer Patricia S. Meyers, Manchester Former nonprofit administrator, community volunteer Jane C. Nylander, Portsmouth President Emeritus, Historic New England John S. Robinson, Meredith Retired Dean, Social Sciences and Graduates Studies, Simmons College Susan P. Sloan, Hopkinton and Boston, MA Former securities professional, editor of antiques guides, genealogist David H. Souter, Hopkinton Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David M. Sundman, Littleton President, Littleton Coin Company John F. Swope, Concord Retired President, Chubb Life Insurance Company Kurt M. Swenson, Hopkinton President & CEO, Rock of Ages William W. Upton, Concord Historian and consultant, specializing in New Hampshire decorative arts William P. Veillette, Amherst Executive Director, Northeast Document Conservation Center

Street Address
30 Park St., AND 6 Eagle Square
Concord, NH 03301
Mailing Address
30 Park St
Concord, NH 03301
phone: 603-228-6688
fax: 603-228-6308
e-mail: membership@nhhistory.org
home page: www.nhhistory.org
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