Tag: exeter nh

In 2015, the American Independence Museum in Exeter received a $1,000 gift from Optima Bank & Trust to support an exhibit that featured rare Revolutionary-era currency. Entitled “The Currency of Colonial America: the Struggle for Economic Independence,” the two-year exhibit is set to close at the end of this season in late November.

“It’s the last chance see 15 Colonial bills that help tell our nation’s story,” said Museum Executive Director Julie Williams.

Through anecdotes offered by guides at 1 pm daily, Tuesday through Saturday, the exhibit explains the Colonies’ initial struggles for their own currency, their use during the American Revolution, and the in creating a single currency. The exhibit also explores the process that went into making the bills, monetary terms and symbols and the reasons behind the use of interchangeable terms like Dollars versus Pounds.

“Optima Bank & Trust made this exhibit possible—and we are so very grateful,” added Williams.

To learn more about the Museum or its Holiday Celebration on Friday, December 2, visit www.independencemuseum.org. In celebration of the life of Jim Hayden, who served on the Board of Governors and recently passed away, the Museum will be closed on Saturday, November 12.

On Saturday, October 22, the American Independence Museum will host “Ghosts of Winter Street Cemetery,” as some of Exeter’s famous and infamous former residents will tell their stories and answer questions from visitors. Tours for Ghosts of Winter Street Cemetery will meet at the Cemetery—not at the museum—at the intersection of Winter Street, Front Street [Rt.111] and Railroad Avenue.

This year, changes to the Museum’s popular annual event include adding additional tour times as well as a less rigid structure, as families will be free to roam around and talk to the “ghosts” at their leisure.

“We wanted people to have more freedom this year to move about and talk to whomever they wanted when they wanted,” said Collections and Visitor Services Manager Rachel Passannante. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Ghosts of Winter Street Cemetery will take place on Saturday, October 22 with space available for tours at 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm. Tours will last approximately 30 minutes. The cost is $7.00 for non-members, $5.00 for non-member children ages 6-18. Members are $5.00 and members’ children, ages 6-18, are free. All children under the age of 6 are free.

To purchase tickets online, visit www.independencemuseum.org/ghosts-winter-street-cemetery/. For more information, call (603) 772-2622, or email or [email protected].

Founded in 1991, the nonprofit American Independence Museum features living history exhibits and a vast collection, including one of 26 surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence, two rare drafts of the U.S. Constitution, and an original Purple Heart awarded by General George Washington.

With Sam Adams the latest to join a strong lineup of brewers, the final Beer for History event on Thursday, October 20 in Exeter, NH is expected to draw a large crowd. In addition to Sam Adams, other brewers include Moat Mountain Brewing Co., Granite State Growler Tours, Neighborhood Beer Co. (NEIGHBORHOOD), and 7th Settlement.

More than 10 varieties of beer will be available at the event, including 7th Settlement’s Peter Peter Pumpkin Brown Ale aged in Flagg Hill Bourbon oak and NEIGHBORHOOD’S Granite Acorn Autumn Lager. Live music will be performed by musicians and Living History Performers Mike Welch and Mike Haeger, as they plan to play Revolutionary era tavern music. There will also be food, games, a magic show and more at the event, which is sponsored by Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A. Attorneys at Law of Portsmouth.

“The firm has been a huge supporter of the Museum this year and has sponsored the entire Beer for History series,” said Executive Director Julie Williams. “We hope to sell out this final event.”

Beer for History will take place at the Museum’s Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street in Exeter, on Thursday, October 20 from 5 pm to 8 pm. Tickets are $30. Members of the Museum may purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $25. Kids are free. To buy tickets, visit https://www.independencemuseum.org/beer-for-history/.

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Founding partner in Lynch, Brewer, Hoffman & Fink, LLP, a Boston-based law firm, Alan Hoffman will speak on the role Lafayette played as a symbol of Franco-American friendship at the American Independence Museum’s next evening lecture on October 4. President of The American Friends of Lafayette as well as The Massachusetts Lafayette Society, Hoffman has also translated Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825 by Auguste Levasseur.

In commenting on what attendees can expect at the lecture, Hoffman referenced Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the following at the beginning of his song “Guns and Ships” in the hit, hip-hop Broadway musical Hamilton:

How does a ragtag volunteer army in need of a shower
Somehow defeat a global superpower?
How do we emerge victorious from the quagmire?
Leave the battlefield waving Betsy Ross’ flag higher?
Yo. Turns out we have a secret weapon!
An immigrant you know and love who’s unafraid to step in!
He’s constantly confusin’, confoundin’ the British henchmen
Ev’ryone give it up for America’s favorite fighting Frenchman!
Lafayette!

“Those words provide—albeit poetically—the backdrop for my discussion, which will cover Lafayette’s role in the Revolution and how he eventually became the most popular man in America,” said Hoffman. “It’s an interesting story that spans well over 200 years of history.”

Expressing excitement at his upcoming lecture, Museum Education manager Abigail Pietrantonio said the entire series has been “a resounding success” in 2016.

“Even though these are free lectures, I don’t think any of us thought they would command the sort of attention they have drawn,” she said. “Mr. Hoffman is well known for his expert knowledge on Lafayette, and so I expect a full house and lively discussions to follow.”

Aimée Sundstrom, marketing manager at Service Credit Union, a major Museum sponsor in 2016-2017, said the lecture series is important in that it sheds light on many facets of America’s revolutionary history.

“These lectures are great because they dig deep into aspects of American history that many people may not know about,” she said. “We are very impressed at the success of the series and look forward to Mr. Hoffman’s presentation.”

Scheduled for 7 pm on Tuesday, October 4 on the second floor of the Museum’s Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street in Exeter, the Lecture is made possible by generous support from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

Pre-registration is required for this free lecture. Please contact Abby Pietrantonio at [email protected]. 

Americans have long revered their pint of beer, which underscores the popularity of the American Independence Museum’s Beer for History series in Exeter and one of the reasons Moat Mountain Brewing Co. recently joined the lineup.

“I am really excited to be part of this event with so many other great breweries and people—it should be a lot of fun,” said Sales Manager Brian Dalke of Moat Mountain Brewing Co. “There is nothing wrong with having a beer for history.”

The next Beer for History takes place at the Museum’s Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street in Exeter, on Thursday, October 20 from 5 pm to 8 pm. Moat Mountain Brewing Co. will be joined by Granite State Growler Tours, Neighborhood Beer Co. (NHBC), 7th Settlement, D.L. Geary Brewing Company and possibly others.

NHBC’s Joe Berwanger said they plan to pour their Granite Acorn Autumn Lager, which is a higher-alcohol, super malty version of the iconic harvest Märzen-style Oktoberfest. “It’s extremely smooth and crisp,” he added. “It’s the perfect complement to autumn itself.”

Beer for History is sponsored by Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A. Attorneys at Law of Portsmouth.

“We have enjoyed ourselves at the first two events and look forward to another great time,” said Kevin Baum, attorney at the firm. “It’s a wonderful community event and a terrific way to enjoy the museum grounds.”

In addition to beer and light snacks, the event will feature live colonial tavern-style music and games for kids. “It’s definitely worth the trip from Maine,” said Geary Brewing’s Tim Turner. “I’ve discovered Exeter is a pretty classic New England town. It’s been fun.”

Tickets are $30 and include light appetizers, samplings of beer, and more. Members of the Museum may purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $25. Kids are free. To buy tickets, visit https://www.independencemuseum.org/beer-for-history/.

Open for 6 years, The Fabulous Find in Kittery has given away more than $870,000 to local nonprofits, which continues to delight new recipients, including the American Independence Museum in Exeter.

“We were elated to hear of our selection,” said Museum Executive Director Julie Williams. “It is amazing what they have been able to do for the greater Seacoast community.”

The Fabulous Find is a boutique style resale shop that partners with different local non-profit organizations monthly. In addition to the American Independence Museum, the Children’s Museum of NH and Seacoast Family Promises will also share profits from September sales at the shop. On September 10 at 8:30 am, The Fabulous Find will host a coffee reception to disburse monies to August beneficiaries as well as introduce September’s agencies.

Comprising the Ladd-Gilman House (c.1721) and Folsom Tavern (c.1775) on more than one acre of landscaped property, the Museum hosts public and educational programs and lectures, colonial artisan demonstrations, guided tours, and special events. The Museum is also part of the “Experience New Hampshire Heritage: The Portsmouth to Plymouth Museum Trail.”

To learn more about The Fabulous Find, visit www.thefabulousfind.org.

Featuring more than 2,000 items in its collection, the need to preserve them is critical, which makes the American Independence Museum’s recent $5,000 grant award so important. Granted by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), the award will enable the Museum to restore, digitize and safely house 4 rare historical artifacts as well as purchase materials required for new archival storage methods for hundreds of other items in the collection.

Museum Executive Director Julie Williams referred to the grant award as “an important piece to a long-term preservation plan.”

“With an eye toward future sustainability both in terms of our collection and the Museum itself, we need to take steps to ensure our artifacts may be enjoyed for future generations,” she said. “This grant award helps protect 4 key items in our collection and lay the groundwork for future projects—I cannot thank the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution enough.”

Susan O’Leary, immediate past regent for the Exeter DAR Chapter and current ambassador at the Museum, said she was honored to sponsor the Special Grants Application.

“Chapter recognition of the importance of the Museum’s two anchor properties, the Folsom Tavern and the Ladd-Gilman House, dates back to 1901 when our young chapter presented slate tablets to both to honor their significance to local and state history,” she said. “This grant will help assure that the Museum will educate and serve the region into the future.”

The 4 items that will be preserved include: A letter handwritten and signed by George Washington in Mount Vernon to General Henry Knox in New York; handwritten letter from George Washington to General John Sullivan; “A Compendium of Military Duty, adapted for the Militia of the United States” by Jonathan Rawson, Esq., late aid de camp to General Sullivan; and an engraved book plate that belonged to George Washington.

“These items are among some of the most significant in our collection,” added Williams. “They are delicate and require expert handling by outside consultants—it will be very exciting to see these items in all their restored glory.”

Founded in 1991 with the strength and guidance of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, the Exeter Community and the State of New Hampshire, the American Independence Museum is a place where all can learn and celebrate what it took to create the freedoms that Americans enjoy hundreds of years later.

Learn more about the American Independence Museum at www.independencemuseum.org.

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At the American Independence Museum, one of its primary objectives is to engage visitors of all ages with opportunities to explore Revolutionary history in unique ways, which is tangibly demonstrated in its new Colonial Cutting Garden.

Planted with heirloom plants from Plimoth Plantation, the garden was made possible with financial support from The Farm at Eastman’s Corner. Citing an appreciation for the rich history of the NH Seacoast and that of Exeter in particular, Eric Cimon, director of marketing and events at The Farm at Eastman’s Corner, said they are excited at the partnership.

“The American Independence Museum is a unique and treasured establishment full of the stories of Exeter’s history and is a wonderful resource for all ages to learn and be reminded of how and why we got here,” he noted. “We are proud to support the learning garden and commend them for their efforts and perseverance, making sure the history of our country’s independence is not lost with the passage of time.”

Cimon said the garden also reflects core value of The Farm at Eastman Corner.

“We are focused on educating individuals about the history of the region, how we got here and how we can protect and preserve it for future generations through efforts in conservation and sustainability,” he noted.

Noting the garden features nearly two-dozen plants and herbs, some of which include rosemary, lemon balm, red orach, sage and nasturtium, Williams said the Museum’s newest living history addition reveals an important facet of Colonial history.

“Colonial Cutting Gardens were a staple of every home,” she said. “The plants and herbs within them served an important function for the family—from alleviating ailments and injuries to providing flavor to food, warding off evil spirits, and deterring pests. They also gave fragrance to soaps and cosmetics as well as to the entire home.”

To learn more about the Colonial Cutting Garden, which visitors can tour with a self-guided pamphlet that explains their historical importance, visit the Museum Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. The Museum is located at One Governor’s Lane, Exeter, NH.

The Museum is part of the NH Heritage Trail. Visit www.nhmuseumtrail.org for more information.