Jail door lock and key View larger image      View jail door

The Society has recently opened a door on the material culture of crime and punishment in early 19th-century New Hampshire history by adding an exterior door from the 1811 Hillsborough County Jail to the collection. Mrs. Marion Young of Amherst generously donated the massive cast iron door and frame. The door hangs on two wrought iron strap hinges (attached to the door) and corresponding wrought iron pintles (attached to the frame). The door measures 25 5/8" x 73 3/8", is more than 1/2” thick, and has a surface-mounted lock set that appears to be made of wrought iron. The large key is also made of wrought iron. The overall condition is excellent. The door and frame are coated with paint, but further study will determine the composition and color of the original finish.

Amherst Jailhouse, late 19th century Amherst Historical Moments, Amherst, NH, 2004 View larger image

Amherst became the shire town for Hillsborough County in 1769. A shire town needed a courthouse and a jail. The Amherst jail from which this door came was built in 1811, replacing an earlier log structure. The jail was a two-story granite-block building with multiple doors, which stood at the location of the house that now is at 6 Old Jailhouse Road in Amherst. The first floor was used for holding the men, the second floor reportedly for the women, and the attic for storing the gallows. The building was sold in 1867 and disassembled in 1892.

This door was acquired by Malcolm "Mack" Clark, an Amherst resident who owned and operated the Concord coach that is now in the Amherst Historical Society's "Wigwam Museum." The door was given by Clark to Mr. & Mrs. Donald Young as a wedding present. It was installed in a cement block wall in the early 1950s as the door to the cold cellar in the basement of their home. The door and frame were recently removed by a mason and moved to Concord. The door is the gift of Marion G. Young, in memory of Donald O. Young, with support from William P. Veillette and the Katharine Prentis Murphy Fund.

The New Hampshire Historical Society recently purchased at auction two letters written by Jane Pierce — one to her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Appleton, and one to her sister, Mary Aiken. The earlier of the two letters was written in 1835 to Jane's mother when newlyweds Jane and Rep. Franklin Pierce were living in Washington, D.C. Jane writes of a visit to the U.S. Capitol rotunda where she witnessed the arrest of a man accused of the attempted assassination of President Andrew Jackson. She also reports on a near tragic carriage accident one evening when the Pierces were on their way to a social event at the home of New Hampshire Senator

Excerpt from Jane Pierce's 1835 letter    View larger image      View entire letter      View transcript

The second letter was written in October 1852, from Concord, in the midst of the presidential campaign. Jane writes to her sister of being awakened late one evening by a noisy crowd of revelers who serenaded the Pierces after learning of the Democratic Party victories in state elections in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. These local elections were an accurate predictor of the presidential election a few weeks later in which Franklin Pierce was victorious. The revelers “went away playing ‘Yankee Doodle’” and Jane writes, “If what seems so probable is to come I pray that grace may be given where it is and will be so much needed.” Read transcript

Jane Pierce letters are relatively rare, and these two are particularly important as they provide her first-hand reactions to national events influencing the political career of her husband, Franklin Pierce, the only U.S. President from New Hampshire.

The Society's library now offers wireless Internet access. Library patrons may now go online using their lap-top computers without having to plug in. We hope Society members and researchers who try out this new service will provide us with feedback as to its utility.

Clockwise: Daniel Webster, Old Man of the Mountain, General John Stark, Sarah Josepha Hale

The New Hampshire Historical Society's bobbleheads have been selected as an Editor's Pick for best educational toy in New Hampshire Magazine's 2007 Best of NH.

First available in January 2006, the Society's popular series of historical bobbleheads has honored a Revolutionary War hero, recognized a great American statesman, remembered New Hampshire's Great Stone Face, and paid tribute to the "Mother of Thanksgiving." On the bottom of every bobblehead is an interpretative label with information about the historical figure, making them a fun way to learn about New Hampshire history.

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The mission of the New Hampshire Historical Society is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today. In support of this mission, the Society collects, preserves, and interprets materials pertaining to New Hampshire history.

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