Granite State Stuff : History

Series of Workshops for Local Historical Societies Begins July 10

AskLisa — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:38:00 GMT

On Friday, July 10, the New Hampshire Humanities Council will sponsor an all-day workshop on “Teaching Local History with Cemetery Walks.” The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chester Historical Society in Chester, NH. The cost is $25 per person, and includes lunch.

A cemetery walk can ignite your community’s hunger to learn about their home town, attract new volunteers and members to your local historical society, and refresh your image in the community. In this workshop, historical society staff and volunteers will learn cemetery history and the mechanics of creating a cemetery walk—from start to finish. Workshop presenters Sharon Wood and Colin Sanborn of the Claremont Historical Society, and David Watters, Professor of English and American Studies at the University of New Hampshire, will show participants how to understand the social history of families and communities as revealed in graveyards, work with primary source documents, write up the stories, create a mini-walk for the Chester cemetery, and present that walk to each other (weather permitting).

Space is limited. Please contact New Hampshire Historical Society Director of Education Stephanie Skenyon at 603-856-0611 or sskenyon@nhhistory.org to reserve your place today.

The Chester Historical Society is located at the crossroads of Rts. 121 & 102 in Chester. For directions, visit chesterhistorical.org

The Association of Historical Society of New Hampshire has coordinated a calendar of workshops with the New Hampshire Archives Group, the New Hampshire Humanities Council, and the New Hampshire Historical Society to better serve the practical needs of local historical societies in the state. Workshops will occur in the different regions of New Hampshire throughout 2009 and 2010. For a schedule of upcoming workshops, visit the New Hampshire Historical Society’s online calendar at nhhistory.org or contact Director of Education Stephanie Skenyon at 603-856-0611 or sskenyon@nhhistory.org.

Founded in 1823, the New Hampshire Historical Society is the independent nonprofit that saves, preserves, and shares New Hampshire history. The Society serves thousands of children and adults each year through its museum, library, educational programs, publications, and outreach programs. For more information about the Society and the benefits of membership, visit nhhistory.org or call 603-228-6688

Carved in Granite: A History of New Hampshire

AskLisa — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:24:00 GMT

New Hampshire Historical Society Presents Six-Part History Course

The New Hampshire Historical Society will present Carved in Granite: A History of New Hampshire, a six-part course about what makes New Hampshire stand out among her sister states. The course runs each Thursday evening, March 5 through April 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the New Hampshire Historical Society’s library, 30 Park Street, Concord.

R. Stuart Wallace, Professor of History at the New Hampshire Technical Institute and the University of New Hampshire-Manchester, will guide participants through the diverse and unique history of New Hampshire. Topics include the development of New Hampshire’s political system, the causes and consequences of industrial growth, and the opportunities and challenges brought about by rapid increases in the state’s wealth and population in the late 20^th century.

The registration fee is $60 for New Hampshire Historical Society members and $100 for nonmembers. Become a member at the time of registration and qualify for the reduced course rate. To register, contact Education Services Coordinator Chris MacLeod at 603-856-0604 or cmacleod@nhhistory.org.

Complete Course List

March 5 — The Colonial Legacy
Bringing New Hampshire’s history up to 1792, the state’s involved and at times confusing colonial history resulted in a unique blend of people and a political system markedly different than other New England states.

March 12 — The Changing Landscape
Rural New Hampshire—its farms, its forests, and subsequently its tourism—evolved in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in ways that met the economic needs of New Hampshire’s people, but also in ways consistent with New Hampshire’s environment.

March 19 — The Urban and Industrial Setting
Beginning in the 1820s, New Hampshire became an increasingly industrial state, with urban centers surrounding expanding industrial sites. Towns and cities began to experience challenges common to urban centers elsewhere, but industry brought unprecedented wealth as well.

March 26 — New Hampshire’s Ethnic Heritage
Although often stereotyped as a “Yankee” state, New Hampshire has experienced a constant influx of immigrants, who in turn, have given new forms of cultural nourishment to the Granite State.

April 2 — New Hampshire: Beautiful and Poor

In the years before World War II, New Hampshire’s economy went through massive change and turmoil. Farms disappeared, factories closed, railroad service deteriorated, and unemployment ran high. One of the few bright spots was the arrival of tourists and non-resident property owners, but the state as a whole did not prosper.

April 9 — The New Hampshire Advantage

After a few years of post-war recession and uncertainty, New Hampshire started growing, both in population and wealth. A combination of geographic and economic factors suddenly made New Hampshire a very desirable place to live, leaving New Hampshire state and community leaders with the challenges brought about by rapid growth.

Explore Barn History and Preservation

AskLisa — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:23:00 GMT

Join the Alliance and co-hosts, the Sanbornton Historical Society, for a day of barn history, architecture and exploration in central New Hampshire! At 10 a.m., July 12, John Porter, co-author of Preserving Old Barns, will present "Form & Function of N.H. Barns," an illustrated lecture on barn architecture, at the historic Lane Tavern in Sanbornton. An optional lunch will be offered by the historical society in the Lane Tavern at 11:30 a.m. The self-guided tour of five historic barns will run from noon – 4 p.m. A barn expert will on hand at each barn to answer questions on architectural features, framing techniques and common maintenance and repair issues. Pre-registration is encouraged as space is limited in the Lane Tavern.

Ticket prices: $20-$40; Tour only tickets available. For details visit http://www.nhpreservation.org. Call the Preservation Alliance at 603-224-2281 for reservations.

Generous sponsors of the Preservation Alliance's Old House and Barn Series include First Period Colonial Preservation/Restoration, Crown Point Cabinetry, Ahlgren & Son Builders, LLC, Farms & Barns – N.H.'s Farm Property Realtors and Henry Page House Restoration. Proceeds from the event support the Alliance's Barn Assessment Grant Program and educational activities.

The Preservation Alliance is New Hampshire's non-profit, membership-based organization committed to the preservation of historic landmarks, communities and landscapes through leadership, education and advocacy.

At Home in the Georgian Period (1715- 1780)

AskLisa — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:10:00 GMT

Historic New England presents a five-week lecture series At Home in the Georgian Period at the Governor John Langdon House on Wednesdays starting May 7.

Environment, politics, climate, religion, and material culture shaped the patterns of life developed in the early American colonies. In this mini-course, explore the many influences of the Georgian Period: the buildings, furniture and decorative arts developed during the period, the turbulent politics leading to the War of Independence and the impact of these influences on New England daily life. The Langdon House is located at 143 Pleasant Street and the lectures will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Registration for the course is required and is $50 for Historic New England members, $95 for non-members (includes membership).

On May 7, Christopher L. Pastore a PhD. Candidate at UNH in American history, will set the scene with a historical overview of the period, which ranges from 1715 to 1780. On May 14, Joseph Cornish, Senior Stewardship Manager for Historic New England, will explain the architecture of the era. This session may be of particular interest to seacoast residents who will recognize the building form, perhaps from their own street.

Nancy Carlisle, Curator for Historic New England will present on the furniture styles of the period on May 21. On May 28 noted educator, write and scholar Elizabeth Garrett Widmer will conclude the lecture portion of the series by speaking on interior finishes and decorative arts found during the Georgina period.

The series closes on June 4 with special tours of the Governor John Langdon House (1784) and the Warner House (1716). Each of these homes represent the high style of Georgian architecture and design, at the beginning and end of the era.

Call 603-436-3250 or visit http://www.historicnewengland.org/things/calendar/Events.asp to register for the course.

About Historic New England

Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional preservation organization in the country. It offers a unique opportunity to experience the lives and stories of New Englanders through their homes and possessions. For more information visit Historic New England online at www.HistoricNewEngland.org.

Audio featuring History of New Hampshire Primary available free for downloading

AskLisa — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:40:00 GMT

For all those who would like to learn more about the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation Presidential primary, but for whom finding time to read is a challenge, the New Hampshire Historical Society has released this week its first ever publication in an audio version. "First Stop: The New Hampshire Primary" is available on the Society's Web site at http://www.nhhistory.org/publications/audio-version.html to download for free. This offering reflects a growing tendency, reported in the Wall Street Journal in September 2006: "More people, from all walks of life, are downloading and listening to spoken versions of information normally found in print, including books, language courses, magazines and newspapers."

"First Stop: The New Hampshire Primary" provides new insight into the origins of, as well as long-term trends associated with, New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation Presidential primary. Appearing originally as a special
issue of Historical New Hampshire, the only statewide history journal, "First Stop" was produced by the New Hampshire Historical Society in collaboration with the New Hampshire Political Library. It is dedicated to the late Governor Hugh Gregg, one of the leading advocates for the New Hampshire primary and founder of the New Hampshire Political Library.

The audio version of "First Stop: The New Hampshire Primary," narrated by John Walters and produced by Jody Petersen of Cliff House Audio for the New Hampshire Historical Society, is made possible with generous support from the Hugh Gregg Foundation. Anyone who wishes to listen can download the audio files without charge from the Society's Web site or purchase the entire publication as a three-CD set for $15 plus postage and handling. For either option, visit http://www.nhhistory.org/publications/audio-version.html.

Together the three articles narrated here provide an overview of New Hampshire's significance in the election of the nation's president. Taken in chronological order, the first article, by Gettysburg College history professor and former Concord Monitor journalist Michael Birkner, explores the role of the first nationally significant New Hampshire Presidential primary--and of Sherman Adams in particular--in the recruiting of Dwight D.
Eisenhower as the Republican candidate in 1952. Next, Associate Professor of Politics Dante Scala, who has recently moved from Saint Anselm College to the University of New Hampshire, traces the growing influence of reform-minded Democrats in college communities and rural towns in relation to the more traditional working-class Democrats of the state's industrial cities. Finally, Peter Haskell Burr, an independent political researcher and analyst, presents informed advice for would-be Presidential candidates, based on historical facts and statistics but presented in an entertaining way. Two books on the primary are also reviewed.

"First Stop: The New Hampshire Primary" is available as well in printed form from the museum store for $3.50 plus postage and handling) and as a PDF without charge at http://www.nhhistory.org/publications/audio-version.html.

The New Hampshire Historical Society has published the journal Historical New Hampshire since 1944. Each issue contains a variety of articles about a past that enriches and informs our lives today, as well as reviews of recent books of state and local interest. Historical New Hampshire is a benefit of membership in the Society. Copies also are available for purchase through the Society's museum store at 6 Eagle Square, Concord, and online at http://www.nhhistory.org.

Founded in 1823, the New Hampshire Historical Society is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving, preserving, and sharing New Hampshire history. The Society serves thousands of children and adults each year through its Museum of New Hampshire History, research library, educational programs, publications, and outreach programs. The Society is not a state-funded agency. All of its programs and services are made possible by membership dues and contributions. For more information about the Society and the benefits of membership, visit http://www.nhhistory.org or call 603-228-6688.