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| Exeter Historical Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | Exeter Historical Society |
| Formation | 19th century |
| Type | Historical society |
| Purpose | Preservation, education, archives |
| Headquarters | Exeter, New Hampshire |
| Region | Rockingham County, New Hampshire |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | (varies) |
| Website | (official site) |
Exeter Historical Society
The Exeter Historical Society preserves and promotes the historical record of Exeter, New Hampshire, and surrounding Rockingham County, New Hampshire through stewardship of collections, operation of historic properties, and public programming linked to local and regional narratives such as the American Revolution, Colonial America, New England, and the history of Native American presence in the region. Its activities connect Exeter with statewide institutions like the New Hampshire Historical Society, national networks including the American Association for State and Local History, and local partners such as the Phillips Exeter Academy, the Exeter Public Library, and municipal bodies of Exeter, New Hampshire.
Founded in the late 19th century amid a national surge of interest exemplified by the American Antiquarian Society and the Society of Colonial Wars, the organization emerged as part of a pattern similar to the formation of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Society. Early leaders included civic figures linked to Phillips Exeter Academy alumni, local clergy associated with St. John’s Church (Exeter, New Hampshire), and merchants connected to the Port of Newburyport trade networks. Over decades the society navigated preservation debates comparable to efforts at Mount Vernon and Independence Hall, responding to threats to structures from industrial expansion linked to the Industrial Revolution and transportation projects like the Boston and Maine Railroad. Twentieth-century initiatives paralleled programs at the Smithsonian Institution and the Historic New England movement, while later grants and collaborations resembled those awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The society’s mission echoes statements from institutions such as the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the Library of Congress’s outreach, emphasizing preservation of material culture associated with figures like John Phillips (merchant) and families with ties to the Sawyer family (New Hampshire). Activities include conservation work analogous to practices at the American Institute for Conservation, exhibition planning influenced by standards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and oral-history projects modeled after programs at the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and the Smithsonian Folkways collections. Public-facing initiatives are coordinated with local agencies like the Town of Exeter, New Hampshire planning office, the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, and regional tourism bureaus linked to Seacoast New Hampshire.
Collections span manuscripts, maps, photographs, textiles, and artifacts comparable to holdings at the Peabody Essex Museum, the New Hampshire Historical Society, and the Historic New England archives. Notable categories include town records similar to those kept by the Boston Public Library’s special collections, genealogical files used by patrons of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch, and architectural drawings that relate to styles in the Colonial Revival and Federal architecture traditions. The society maintains conservation standards informed by the National Archives and Records Administration and cataloging practices consistent with the OCLC and the Dublin Core metadata guidelines, and collaborates with university archives at Dartmouth College, University of New Hampshire, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Educational programs mirror outreach at the New Hampshire Humanities council and school collaborations resembling partnerships between the Boston Children’s Museum and local districts. Offerings include walking tours that interpret sites connected to events such as the American Revolutionary War and figures like Matthew Thornton, classroom resources aligned with the New Hampshire Department of Education standards, and lectures featuring scholars from institutions such as Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard University, Yale University, and University of New Hampshire. Internship and volunteer programs parallel opportunities provided by the National History Day program and fellowship models like those administered by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The society stewards properties and collaborates on sites comparable to John Paul Jones House preservation efforts and the management of houses in the Strawbery Banke Museum. Properties under care include period residences, meetinghouses, cemeteries with associations to families like the Gilman family (New Hampshire), and public spaces featuring monuments related to national events such as the War of 1812 and Civil War. Site interpretation often references architectural surveys by the Historic American Buildings Survey and conservation practices promoted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Governance follows non-profit models like those of the American Historical Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with a board of directors, committees, and bylaws. Funding streams include membership programs similar to the Historic New England model, grants from agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts, corporate support like partnerships with regional businesses tied to Seacoast commerce, and fundraising events in the style of historic-house benefit programs run by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Financial oversight aligns with standards from the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) organizations and audit practices used by the Council on Nonprofits.
The society engages with community organizations including the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, veterans groups like the American Legion, civic associations such as the Exeter Kiwanis Club, and educational institutions including Phillips Exeter Academy and the Exeter Cooperative School District. Collaborative projects track regional initiatives with the Seacoast Science Center, historical commissions in neighboring towns like Stratham, New Hampshire and Hampton, New Hampshire, and statewide networks comprising the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Public events often coincide with broader commemorations like Patriots' Day (Massachusetts) reenactments, statewide heritage months, and regional tourism campaigns coordinated with Visit New Hampshire.
Category:Historical societies in New Hampshire