Dartmouth offers a view into state's past at historic homes and sites
139 Saint Gaudens Road
Cornish, NH 03745
Phone: 603-675-2175
Discover the beautiful home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. Over 100 of his artworks can be seen in the galleries, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. Enjoy summer concerts and explore the gardens and nature trails.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to heroic-size public monuments. Works such as the "Standing Lincoln" monument and the Shaw Memorial, continue to inspire people today and his design for the 1907 Twenty Dollar Gold Piece, is considered America's most beautiful coin.
Hours: Memorial Day weekend to October 31, exhibit buildings are open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the grounds are open during daylight hours; November through late May, the exhibit buildings are closed, but the park Visitor Center is open most weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Admission: Adults age 16 and older, $5.
Sunapee Historic Society Museum
Sunapee Harbor
Sunapee, NH
Phone: 603-763-9872
Museum on the shores of Lake Sunapee focuses on the area's history. Of particular interest is the exhibit on Lake Sunapee's old steamboats. A donation is requested.
The Fort at No.4 Living History Museum
267 Springfield Road (Route 11)
Charlestown, NH 03603
Phone: 603-826-5700
Open: June-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Travel back in time to Charlestown, New Hampshire in the 1740's to visit an authentically reconstructed settlement. Tour with guides dressed as original settlers of No. 4. Demonstrations of hearth cooking, musket firings, military drills and much more are conducted daily. Cost: Adults, $8; seniors (65 and older), $6; youth (age 6-12), $5.
Webster Cottage Museum
32 North Main Street
Hanover, NH 03755
Phone: 603-643-6529
Open: Memorial day-Columbus Day, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Eighteenth-century farm house and residence of Daniel Webster as a student at Dartmouth College. The exhibits feature Webster's life and Shaker furniture as well as typical furnishings of the time. Cost: Admission is free.
Amos Blanchard House and Barn Museum
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
Phone: 978-475-2236
Open: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.; closed in August
Interiors restored to the 1820 to 1840s period using display wallpaper, carpets and floor cloths that are reproductions and furnishings donated by Andover residents. A highlight of the tour is a recently restored faux marble floor in the entrance hall. The original English style barn contains 19th century farm tools, 18th-century cobbler's bench, and an 1829 Hunneman hand-pulled fire pumper. Guides interpret themes of 19th century politics, religion, women's roles, economics, banking, youth, education, household management, and agriculture. Cost: Tour fee: Adults, $5; students, $3.
Canaan Historic District Meeting House
Canaan Street
Canaan, NH
Phone: 603-523-4809
This 1793 structure is currently being restored, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Open for tours by appointment only.
Canaan Historical Museum
Canaan Street
Canaan, NH 03741
Phone: 603-523-7364
Open: July-October, Saturday, 1-4 p.m.
This museum houses historic items from the 18th and 19th centuries. Of particular interest is a collection of Shaker items.
Claremont Historical Society Museum
26 Mulberry Street
Claremont, NH 03743
Phone: 603-543-1400
Open: June-September
Collections of early New England artifacts, focusing on Claremont history. Cost: Admission is free.
24 Caleb Dyer Lane / 447 Route 4A
Enfield, NH 03748
Phone: 603-632-4346
Nestled in a valley between Mount Assurance and Mascoma Lake, the Enfield Shaker site has been cherished for over 200 years. Visitors may tour the Great Stone Dwelling, the largest Shaker dwelling house ever constructed; view Shaker furniture, tools, clothing, photographs and agricultural implements; explore the Museum's herb and flower gardens, fields and hills; hike to the Shaker Feast Ground for a spectacular vista; and shop at the Museum Store, filled with Shaker-inspired reproductions, books, local crafts and farm products, as well as products from the Museum's renowned herb garden.
Hours: Open year-round; the museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 pt
Admission: Adult, $8.50; senior over age 61, $7.50; college students, $6; youth age 10-17, $4
Route 103A / P.O. Box 276
Newbury, NH 03255
Phone: 603-763-4789
The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens is one of New England's finest examples of an early 20th-century summer estate. Come and discover 84 conserved acres of beauty and tranquility; learn the legacy of its founder, diplomat and statesman John Milton Hay, during historic guided tours of the 22-room Colonial Revival home; explore forest succession and nature's diversity while walking woodland trails; and enjoy the renowned gardens.
Hours: Gardens and trails, open year-round, daily. Shop and Main House open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as follows: weekends and Monday holidays from May 26 to Columbus Day; Wednesdays through Sundays, June 20 through Labor Day; daily during the July 4 week. Main House and Shop are in winter.
Admission: Adults, $7-$10; seniors and students, $6-$8; children ages 6-17, $3-$4. Winter admission (December through March) is $5 per household.
Fort at No. 4
267 Springfield Road
Charlestown, NH
Phone: 603-826-5700
The French and Indian Wars come to life in New Hampshire! The Fort at No. 4 is a living history museum focused on New England frontier life during the French and Indian Wars, 1740s - 1760s. The reconstructed 13 buildings of the Fort mirror what life was like for the settlers and soldiers in an isolated community on the brink of war. Guided tours and living history demonstrations are conducted daily. Experience 18th century cooking demonstrations, see Fort militia soldiers drilling to defend against French and Indians, learn to spin wool, and many other activities that were a prt of every day colonial life. The Fort is open 10:00 - 4:00 daily, May 20 to October 29, 2000 and is located on Route 11, just 1.5 miles off Exit 7 of Interstate 95. An admission fee is charged. Call 1-800-376-8284 for information.
Historic South Sutton
Meeting House Hill Road
South Sutton, NH
Phone: 603-927-4183
A collection of 19th century structures features a one-room school house, meeting house and general store. The store contains thousands of historic items. Donations are requested. Open July - August.
Mary Baker Eddy House
Hall's Brook Road
Groton, NH
Phone: 603-786-9943
The founder of the Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy, lived at this site from 1855 - 1860. Tours are available, and there is an admission fee.
New London Historical Society
179 Little Sunapee Road
New London, NH 03257
Phone: 603-526-6564
Open: Memorial Day -Columbus Day, Sunday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; July-August, Tuesday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
This museum focuses on life in 19th century New London. The society maintains a small village of 19th century buildings and a collection of horse-drawn vehicles, among many other artifacts. Events are scheduled there throughout the year. Cost: Admission is free; donations are welcome.
Newport Opera House
20 Main Street
Newport, NH
Phone: 603-863-2412
This theatre was built in 1886, and still serves as a concert and performing arts center.
Old Webster Meeting House
Route 127
Webster, NH
Phone: 603-796-2211
Historic site open to the public on Sundays in July and August only, otherwise by appointment. A donation is requested.
