A project that began before the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the Foy Family Children’s Library is now open at the American Independence Museum. Located in the museum’s Folsom Tavern (c. 1775), the library features a reading nook with comfortable seating, curated books that focus on 18th century life, dress-up area with Revolutionary-era clothing, play kitchen, games, and more.
“This is a child-friendly space where everything is touchable,” said the museum’s Program Manager Sarah Jaworski, who selected the books with Melissa Foy, a retired school media specialist.
Melissa and husband Jeff have long been supporters of the museum. Their financial gift made the library possible, an opportunity that “excites” them both.
“We want to see kids get in there and use it,” said Jeff, who has also supported the museum for years as co-owner of Foy Insurance. “I hope the space inspires kids to learn about history and make that part of their studies and the thing they are interested in at school.”
According to Jaworski, the newly transformed space provides a unique opportunity for kids and families.
“It’s a space where kids can be kids and be free to explore — this is a welcoming space where kids can learn through play,” she said. “The old adage, ‘Look, don’t touch,’ won’t apply here.”
The Foy Family Children’s Library is also part of the museum’s larger initiative to foster inclusion and diversity.
“We are talking with Twenty-One Senses, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing inclusion for children with invisible disabilities, to explore different uses of this space,” said Jaworski. “We want kids with sensory challenges to feel welcome here, so this is an important initiative that addresses real community needs.”
Interim Executive Director Jennifer Carr agrees and added, “We are committed to developing our entire museum campus into an open, inviting, inclusive place…and it starts with the kids.”
Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.
Educating thousands of K-12 students from across the nation since its inception in 2016, the American Independence Museum’s free Traveling Trunk program is open for 2022 registration.
Developed with initial seed funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the program uses revolutionary history to explore themes relevant today.
Shipped in a trunk, the program contains 70+ high quality reproduction items and colonial history curriculum materials that may be utilized by teachers for students of varying ages.
“We can customize the program, too, to suit individual needs,” said Museum Executive Director Emma Stratton, who said museum staff is currently exploring ways to ‘digitize’ aspects of the program.
“We are developing interactive digital programs and events that will remove barriers — physical or financial — for people of all ages,” she added. “Digital engagement and inclusivity is a big focus for the museum, as we look to the future.”
To learn more about the Traveling Trunk, which may be shipped anywhere in the United States, click here.
About the American Independence Museum The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
For many, history is a subject reserved for academic debates and classrooms, which could not be farther from what takes place at the American Independence Festival in Exeter every July.
Entering its 29th year, the American Independence Festival not only features classic festival elements — live music, local food, games for kids, art and craft marketplace — but a living history experience for all ages.
“We have traditional artisans outside Folsom Tavern, built in 1775, and dozens of colonial re-enactors on Swasey Parkway and throughout historic downtown Exeter,” said Emma Bray of the American Independence Museum, which hosts the annual event. “It’s what you would expect at a festival, but with history mixed into it.”
The traditional artisan village is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.
“From basket weavers to blacksmiths, shoemakers and more, our traditional artisans village has always been a hit with families,” added Bray. “These artisans demonstrate how our colonial ancestors made – by hand – the things that they needed for life in the 1700s.”
This year, the festival takes place on Saturday, July 13 in Exeter, NH from 10 am to 4 pm.
For the local business community, the yearly event is important on several fronts.
“It brings people into downtown Exeter, which features a downtown as vibrant and beautiful as you will find anywhere,” noted Florence Ruffner of Ruffner Real Estate, a longtime sponsor of the event.
Bob Mitchell, who sponsors the event through his two businesses, Historic Motor Sports and Mitchel & Monti, said he “loves the festival.”
“America was built by people who worked with their hands in ways that are being lost today,” he said. “If we can inspire a young person to just consider for a moment the ingenuity and creativity that went into how America was built, we just might have a future artisan.”
Other festival elements include a parade beer garden, Revolutionary War battle re-enactment, and viewing of an original printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.
“It’s such a wonderful community event unique to Exeter, which has a history that rivals any town or city in New England,” said Bray. “The festival is history with an emphasis on fun, community, family…If you haven’t been to Exeter, this is one day you absolutely should visit.”
In total, more than 4,000 visitors are expected to attend the festival on Saturday, July 13 with proceeds to benefit educational programs and collections care at the museum, which features more than 3,000 items. Its collection includes one of only 26 surviving copies of the Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence and two rare drafts of the U.S. Constitution, both of which will be displayed at the festival.
Festival tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for ages 6 to 18; and free for children under 6, active and retired military, veterans, and Museum members.
About the American Independence Museum The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
On any given day in the summer, the American Independence Museum in Exeter welcomes dozens of visitors, including youth who participate in lively engaging programs with costumed re-enactors.
“Our Revolutionary Kids Summer Camp provides kids with a fun, interactive learning experience,” said Education Manager Abigail Pietrantonio. “It’s fun for kids to interact with colonial re-enactors and experience life as an 18th century resident of Exeter. It is a unique program.”
It is a program that also resonates with parents, including Mary Ann Cappiello, whose daughter Ella participated in the program for two years before volunteering her time for the past two years.
“She came to camp because she loved all the hands-on learning experiences and wearing 18th century clothing, but it also definitely helped deepen her knowledge and her love of history,” she said.
This love of history, she said, is crucial given the marginalization of social studies education at the elementary level.
“I want to do something about that,” said Cappiello, who noted she herself has become involved in the museum by serving on its education committee.
“[It] connects me with other local educators who care about history and want to help the museum make a difference in the lives of community members and visitors from all over the world,” she added.
Expressing excitement at the museum’s summer camp in 2019, Pietrantonio said she hopes Ella’s experience can entice others between the ages of 9 and 11.
“It’s a fun program that enables kids to step back in time and really use their imaginations,” she said. The American Independence Museum features more than 3,000 items in its collection, including one of only 26 surviving copies of the Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence.
About the American Independence Museum The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
The museum is also a member of the 17-member NH Heritage Museum Trail, which connects the public with culturally rich heritage institutions in New Hampshire. For more information about the NH Heritage Museum Trail, visit nhmuseumtrail.org.
Active military and veterans are among some of the most ardent supporters of the American Independence Museum, which features in its collection numerous items of particular interest to them.
Among these items, Curator Rachel Passannante said their military commissions tend to elicit the strongest responses.
“These commissions are essentially contracts men signed to enlist in a local army,” she said. “They are interesting artifacts and bring the Revolutionary War to life in a sense.”
While one commission on display features a name that is no longer legible, the other two provide a clear snapshot into the lives of two 18th men, Darius Willey of NH and William Lithgow, Esq. of Massachusetts.
Willey was mustered into the standard colony-run militia regiment while Lithgow entered into the Continental Army, the latter of which Passannante said was a much more prestigious group.
“The Continental Army was the first army formed by the Continental Congress,” she said. “It included men from all the colonies.”
Another interesting anecdote is the fact both men were members of Society of the Cincinnati, which was founded after the Revolutionary War by men who fought in it. As one of the nation’s oldest veteran’s organization,, the New Hampshire constituent society was founded at the museum’s Folsom Tavern in 1783.
“The Society owns a portion of our collection and the buildings on the property, so the story behind these commissions continues in a sense to this day,” said museum Executive Director Emma Bray.
In 2018, Bray said these commissions and others on display in its 3,000+ item collection may be viewed by veterans, active military and their families without an admission fee, courtesy of Chinburg Properties.
“The story of our nation’s military begins to a very real extent right here in this region of New England,” she said. “We are very grateful at the chance to invite those who continue to fight for our freedom to witness items in our collection that tell the story of the men and women who initially forged that freedom.”
Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the museum welcomes more than 5,000 visitors annually and distinguishes itself with educational school programs and events that make history fun and relevant.
