Vol. 3, No. 5                                                                           September 2008

Fall Meeting in Harrisville

The fall meeting of the Monadnock Historical Societies Forum will meet in Harrisville on Thursday October 16th at the Cheshire Mill No. 1 (The Granite Mill), 69 Main Street in the village of Harrisville beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Historic Harrisville, Inc. will host this meeting that will include our traditional roundtable gathering, overview and discussion of the next collaborative project on Education and Schools in Cheshire County, discussion on de-accessioning surplus items in our collections, and an update and tour of the preservation progress Historic Harrisville is making with the old mill complex.

Please RSVP by Friday 10 October. To RSVP or for further information, please contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or dired@hsccnh.org.

Forum Planned for Wyman Tavern Museum

In October 2008, the Historical Society of Cheshire County (HSCC) will be seeking community comments to help in the development of a long range plan for the Wyman Tavern Museum.

The Tavern, built in 1762, is approaching it's 250th anniversary of its construction. It is the fifth oldest structure in Keene and one of about two dozen remaining buildings in Cheshire County built during the 1750s and early 1760s. It has been a place of historical importance and remarkably only four family groups have lived in the house from 1762 to the 1960s. The periods of the first two owners are currently interpreted at the Tavern: The Tavern time period with Innkeeper Isaac Wyman and his family (1762-1818) and the Rev. Zedekiah Barstow period (1818-1873), the last minister hired by the town of Keene.

HSCC, like many other historical societies throughout in New England, is rethinking how to operate the Wyman Tavern. Due in part to declining interest and higher maintenance costs, HSCC's obligation to maintain the Wyman Tavern Museum has become difficult. To help HSCC maintain this historic structure as a community asset we seek your input. There are two central questions each forum will be asking.

1.  Which time period of occupation, Tavern or Barstow, do you feel is the most important to interpret at the Wyman Tavern?

2.  What do you want to see the Wyman Tavern become?

To help generate discussion at each forum, a slide presentation will be given on the current use of the Wyman Tavern, along with a wide variety of models that other historical organizations are using to help support their historic buildings.

The importance of these forums goes beyond what will be helpful in developing a long range plan for the Wyman Tavern. Each historical organization can gain insight into what the greater community feels about the use of historic buildings by using the Wyman Tavern as a case study. It is HSCC's hope that these forums are a beginning step toward a greater community involvement in the use and preservation of historic buildings throughout Cheshire County.

We strongly encourage you and members of your organization to participation at one of the forums listed below.

Tuesday - October 7th at 6:30 p.m.
Historical Society of Cheshire County
246 Main Street, Keene

The Wyman Tavern Museum will be open for tours from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. before the meeting.

Thursday - October 9th at 6:30 p.m.
Fitzwilliam Town Library
Village Green, Fitzwilliam

The Blake House, across the Village Green from the library, will be open for tours from 5:30 to 6:15 pm. before the meeting.

Tuesday - October 14th at 6:30 p.m.
Chesterfield Town Hall
Route 63, Chesterfield

Thursday - October 16th at 6:30 p.m.
Nelson Town Hall
Nelson Common, Nelson

For further information, please contact HSCC at 352-1895 or visit Wyman Tavern Forum.

Schools & Education Collaborative Project

The subcommittee for the Schools and Education exhibit and publication will meet on Thursday 25 September at HSCC's 4:00 p.m. At this meeting, the subcommittee will create a plan of what the exhibit might contain, types of artifacts and documents we are seeking, and a description of the information needed for the publication. Below are the information and deadline dates for the project.

16 October 08 - Overview and explanation of the various parts of the project at fall roundtable meeting in Harrisville.

19 February 09 - List of artifacts/items/ photographs available for exhibit submitted to subcommittee.

18 June 09 - Submission from each participant their written history and photographs for the publication.

23 October 09 - Delivery deadline of all artifacts/items that will be used in the exhibit.

20 November 09 - Tentative opening of exhibit and completion of publication.