Last updated: 12/13/2011
Canaan, New Hampshire
Street Address
Canaan StreetCanaan, NH 03741
Mailing Address
P.O. 402Canaan, NH 03741

Hours

Saturday 1:00 - 4:00

Admissions

No Charge

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Daniel W. Fleetham
phone: 603-523-7364
e-mail:
Donna Zani-Dunkerton
phone:
e-mail:
Description

The Museum originated on the second floor of the Academy building on Canaan Street. It opened Saturday, August 19, 1961 with an exhibit of pictures, antique furniture and other items of historical significance. During the Bicentennial weekend more than 30O.people attended the opening.
Medora Nutter and Martha Stevens were Co-Chairman for the event. Others who were asked to be on the committee of curators were: Katherine Gordon, Pauline Barney, Constance Burbnk, Margaret Eggleston, Karl Nyhus, Joseph Chandler, Col. Philip M. Whitney and Elsie G. Crocker. Elsie, a descendant of Canaan's second settler, Thomas Miner, was the first president of the newly formed association.
Through the years many changes have taken place. After the library relocated to Canaan Village in 1978, the Museum moved to its present location in Academy Hall. The building was closed in 1979 and again in the mid-1980's due to foundation work and other various repairs. When the organization celebrated its Grand Re-Opening, people gave freely of their family possessions to be displayed in the town's museum.
As the Society's collection increased, it became, necessary, to renovate the old kitchen and back room of the Museum building for the much-needed space. The kitchen was used for years by the Ladies Church Aid on Canaan Street to prepare meals for Town Meeting, and numerous other events. This is now the Museum's History Room. The walls are filled with pictures, articles and, other tidbits of Canaan's past.

Artifact Collections

The newly finished back room, which once housed a unique "three-holer", now contains old School desks that predate the Civil War. They were used in this building when it was known as Canaan Union Academy.
The Museum also has the bells from the Canaan High.and Canaan Center School, the bench from the Canaan Railroad station, the movie proj ectors, used in the Town Hall Theatre, a century-old accordion owned by Hiram Blaisdell and a display of science equipment purchased in the 1850s at a cost of $850.00. These are only a few of the articles that comprise the Historical Society's outstanding collection of Canaan's memorabilia.

Governance

Canaan Historical Society

Library
Access: General Public
Appointment required: No
Exhibitions
Museum Events
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

RECENT UPDATES

Museum Vendors

02/18 Tessellate

New York City, New York

10/30 Museum Fabrication Group, LLC

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03/07 ConservArt Inc.

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Museum Associations

03/07 South Carolina Federation of Museums

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