On Tuesday, September 25 at 10:30 a.m., the American Independence Museum in Exeter will host another Architectural Tour for the 2018 season. Offered for the first time in June, this tour provides visitors with glimpses into spaces at both the Ladd-Gilman House (c. 1721) and Folsom Tavern (c. 1775) that generally remain inaccessible to the public.
“These buildings tell stories that only buildings this old can tell,” said the museum’s Rachel Passannante, who conducted much of the research for the tours. “The feedback from these tours has been very positive, so we are excited to provide another opportunity for folks to join us…We may offer more this season, too.”
The tour will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25 and begin at the Ladd Gilman House. Due to the historic nature of the buildings, they are not handicap accessible.
“Ladd-Gilman House is particularly unique given that it underwent a major renovation in 1752 and we will highlight some of the 1721 features that still exist today,” added Passannante.
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.
Tickets for the Architectural Tour are $10 for non-members and $5 for members.
To purchase a ticket, visit www.independencemuseum.org.
Presented by Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A. Attorneys at Law, the American Independence Museum’s first 2018 Beer for History event takes place on Thursday, September 20 in partnership with Neighborhood Beer Co.
At this event, Neighborhood Beer Co. will pour Granite Acorn Autumn Lager and Mow Money Lawnmower IPA.
A higher-alcohol, super malty version of the harvest Märzen-style Oktoberfest, Granite Acorn Autumn Lager is a smooth, crisp lager that pairs well with meats, cheeses, and autumn dishes. A hop-forward pale ale, Mow Money Lawnmower IPA is hoppy, yet light.
According to Neighborhood Beer Co.’s Salina McIntire, the museum’s Beer for History is one of their favorite events.
“We love coming here and working with the American Independence Museum to put on a fun beer event,” she said. “This is our third year here.”
Emma Bray, museum executive director, said she is excited to have Neighborhood Beer Co. kick off this year’s series, which take place at historic Folsom Tavern (c.1775). Other dates in the series include October 4, October 18 and November 1 with Earth Eagle Brewings, Throwback Brewery and von Trapp Brewing.
“It is wonderful to have Neighborhood kick off our 2018 series,” she said. “We are excited to put on family-friendly beer events.”
Since its inception in 2016, Beer for History has been sponsored by Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A. Attorneys at Law, a fact that Bray added has helped to its continued growth.
“It has been wonderful to have such a dedicated supporter behind this concept and series,” she said. “It enables us to plan and create a fun event that appeals as much to beer lovers as it does to families. All are welcome.”
This year, the series takes place at Folsom Tavern from 6 pm to 8 pm on September 20, October 4, October 18 and November 1 with each date on a Thursday. In addition to craft beer, each event will feature music, light snacks and some form of historic entertainment, which may include colonial tavern games, colonial trivia, and/or escape room. In addition, Lexie’s Burger Bus will be present at every Beer for History except for the event on 10/4.
Tickets for each event are $15 for members and $20 for non members. Series tickets are $50 and $70 for members and nonmembers, respectively, while children (under 21) are $3. Ticket prices include beer (21+), entertainment, light snacks and more.
To purchase tickets, or learn more about Beer for History, visit www.independencemuseum.org.
At the American Independence Museum in Exeter, September may be its busiest month with programs for all ages.
Beer for History
Craft beer will take center stage on Thursday, September 20 with Neighborhood Beer Co. at the first of four events in Beer for History, presented by Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A. Attorneys at Law. Featuring games, entertainment, light snacks, Lexie’s Burger Bus, and more, each Beer for History takes place at Folsom Tavern, a restored historic tavern built in 1775 that once welcomed George Washington for “a collation.”
Revolutionary Story Time!
Presented by Exeter Hospital, the next Revolutionary Story Time! takes place on Thursday, September 6. Designed for children, ages 3 to 5, the program is free and encourages families “to stay and play” afterwards in the tavern and on museum grounds, which is comprised of one landscaped, grassy acre.
Tavern Talk
On Thursday, September 27, the museum will host “The American Precedents: Examining George Washington’s Precedents in the Modern Presidency,” presented by People’s United Bank. At this evening talk, Saint Anselm College students Sarah Hummel (2019) and Matthew Solomon (2020) will discuss the exhibit they designed at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, entitled “The American Precedents.”
Genealogy Workshop
Held in partnership with New England Historic Genealogical Society and sponsored by the William W. Treat Foundation, the third genealogy workshop series takes place on Saturday, September 22. In this workshop, “Migration Patterns in America,” attendees will learn about the dominant “push-pull” forces for migration, major colonial migration routes and more. The role of the railroads in migration will receive special attention.
About the American Independence Museum
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.
the American Independence Museum hosted its latest Lunch & Learn, entitled “Global Perspectives on the Revolution: The Exhibit Up-Close,” which took visitors on a global journey.
“The American Revolution was not just an isolated event in North America,” said Rachel Passannante, collections and visitor services manager. “It had worldwide implications.”
Presented in partnership with People’s United Bank as is the entire lecture series, the Lunch & Learn reflected the museum’s 2018 theme, termed “Global Perspectives on the Revolutionary War.” During this latest lecture, visitors had the opportunity to view this year’s special exhibit in the Ladd-Gilman House.
In conducting much of the research behind the exhibit, Passannante said she was excited to learn more about “the tangled web” of nations that took an interest in the Revolution. Some of these nations included France, Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, Denmark, Spain and Russia. Even what is known as the Netherlands had a vested interest in the war.
“The Dutch were one of the few visible supporters of America’s fight for independence,” she said. “Known as the United Provinces at the time, they were the first to recognize America as a nation in 1776. They openly traded with America and sent thousands of ships carrying a variety of goods from their trading post on St. Eustatius in the West Indies.”
In helping frame the Revolution and its entire collection with a global context, Executive Director Emma Bray said the museum is able to demonstrate history’s relevance to discussions today.
“There is a context for everything we do as people and a nation,” she said. “Many of today’s themes–political or trade, for instance–have their roots in history that extend well beyond colonial history into Greece and further back than that…If we can better understand history, we can better understand ourselves today.”
The museum’s Lecture Series, which includes evening Tavern Talks and afternoon Lunch & Learns, is presented in partnership with People’s United Bank. Tavern Talks are additionally supported by a Humanities-To-Go grant from the NH Humanities Council.
The series is held in Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street, Exeter, NH and is free and open to the public.
Founded in 1991, the American Independence Museum welcomes more than 5,500 visitors annually and distinguishes itself with educational school programs and events that make history fun and relevant.
Educating visitors of all ages is one of the most important objectives at the American Independence Museum and one that recently received a major boost with a $10,000 grant from the Fullwood Foundation.
The grant award will enable the museum to purchase and incorporate mechanical physical interactives into three of its eight exhibit rooms. Part of the funds may also be used to purchase tactile, hands-on reproduction objects.
According to museum Executive Director Emma Bray, the grant provides an opportunity for the museum to follow in the footsteps of similarly focused cultural institutions.
“Hands-on learning is not a catch-phrase,” she explained. “It’s how kids and many adults learn best, and we need to build spaces in our museum to allow for that. We are so thankful that the Fullwood Foundation shares our vision and has made such a critically important investment at such a perfect time for us.”
Bray said now is a particularly important time, because the museum is in the middle of a 5-year strategic plan with a focus on elevating its program offerings and enter new educational areas.
“The museum has a role in promoting 21st Century Learning Skills,” she said. “We can be relevant in today’s world, but we need the right tools. This grant puts them right in our hands.”
The timeline for the grant is approximately 9 months, which coincides with the museum’s opening for the 2019 season. Expressing excitement at the grant’s potential to affect its education objectives, Bray said there is also “a global theme” at play.
“We want to serve as a hub for downtown Exeter where people can gather, relax and feel at home here,” she said. “The more we can transform both the space inside our walls and outside them, the better it is for the profile of this vibrant town.”
She cited collaborations as instrumental to this vision.
“We do not work alone, which makes the partnerships we have with grant funders, corporate partners and individual donors so important,” she said. “We hope others will see Fullwood Foundation’s support of our operations and also want to invest in our mission to preserve our shared colonial history.”
Founded in 1991, the American Independence Museum welcomes more than 5,500 visitors annually and distinguishes itself with educational school programs and events that make history fun and relevant.
