Programs & Events Calendar

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All in-person programs will be held at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, unless otherwise noted.

Spring Lecture Series 2025: Razing and Rescuing: Historic Preservation in New Hampshire
Thursdays, April 17 to May 8, 2025, 6 p.m.
The New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance explore the efforts to preserve our historic places—the houses, barns, town halls, churches, factories, and warehouses of the people who have lived here over the centuries. Both organizations play crucial roles in authentically restoring New Hampshire’s historic structures and finding appropriate modern uses for them. This series is presented, in part, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. These lectures are members-only events for those who belong to either the New Hampshire Historical Society or the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. Attendees must be a member of at least one of the organizations. The lecture series is free and offered as in-person events at the New Hampshire Historical Society’s building at 30 Park Street in Concord, or as virtual events via Zoom. Registration is required for either in-person or virtual attendance, and registrants must sign up for the entire series. There is no registration for individual lectures. Register for the series through Humanitix.com.

Spring Lecture Series 2025: Razing and Rescuing: Historic Preservation in New Hampshire, Week 1
Thursday, April 17, 2025, 6 p.m.: Mixed Record: A Pictorial History of Preservation in New Hampshire
Preservation has long been described as a pugilistic activity—community groups fighting developers in battles between nostalgia and progress. What are the roots of New Hampshire’s preservation movement, and what lessons have we learned from over a century of “wins” and “losses” throughout the Granite State? Join Andrew Cushing from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance for this introduction to historic preservation efforts in the state.

Spring Lecture Series 2025: Razing and Rescuing: Historic Preservation in New Hampshire, Week 2
Thursday, April 24, 2025, 6 p.m.: 'Nothing but a lot of rickety rats' nests and firetraps': Urban Renewal in New Hampshire Cities
Economic and societal change in the mid-20th century brought in their wake calls for urban renewal, calls that intensified with the decline of city centers and the rise of cars. Nadine Miller of the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources explores how the federal Urban Renewal Program impacted New Hampshire’s cities and ultimately led to a renewed interest in historic preservation throughout the state.

Spring Lecture Series 2025: Razing and Rescuing: Historic Preservation in New Hampshire, Week 3
Thursday, May 1, 2025, 6 p.m.: Two Villages, Two Approaches
Two National Historic Landmark districts in New Hampshire exhibit very different approaches to preservation. Historic Harrisville and Canterbury Shaker Village illustrate the advantages and challenges of each approach taken by their respective parent organizations, their founding principles, and the resulting nonprofit business models. Erin Hammerstedt of Canterbury Shaker Village delves into these two paths of historic preservation.

Spring Lecture Series 2025: Razing and Rescuing: Historic Preservation in New Hampshire, Week 4
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 6 p.m.: Water Has a Memory: How Climate Resiliency Defines Historic Preservation
What impact does climate change have on historic preservation? And have preservation practices kept pace with changing environmental conditions? As Rodney D. Rowland of Strawbery Banke Museum recounts, basements, for example, are flooding more regularly, necessitating a hard look at mitigation and adaptation techniques. Ready or not, climate change will challenge well-established practices and require preservationists to rethink old models for preserving our heritage.

New Hampshire Historical Society Annual Meeting
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
New Hampshire Historical Society members are invited to attend the annual meeting, either in-person at 30 Park Street in Concord or virtually via Zoom. The business meeting will include presentations about the Society’s activities over the past year. Keynote speaker Scott Stephenson, president and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution, will speak about the museum’s efforts to mark the nation’s birthday with Banners of Liberty: An Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags, which opens in Philadelphia in April. Only 30 flags from the American Revolution are known to survive today, and this exhibition features 17 of them. Two of the flags are on loan from the New Hampshire Historical Society. Stephenson’s talk will include new insights into these rare and significant “banners of liberty.” The afternoon program, 'Mr. Revere Will Give You the News': The Many Rides of Paul Revere, begins with a dramatic reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Professor Peter Josephson, followed by a talk by Nina Zannieri, executive director of the Paul Revere Memorial Association in Boston. An optional lunch for in-person attendees is available for $20 with advance registration. This event is for members only, and registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendees. Seating is limited, and in-person registration is required by April 25. The Society’s 2025 annual meeting is generously sponsored by Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management, and Consulting. Register through Humanitix.com.

Research Library and Exhibitions Closed
Saturday, May 3, 2025
The New Hampshire Historical Society, including the research library and exhibitions, will be closed to the public on Saturday, May 3, 2025, for its annual meeting.

American Revolution Summit 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 1 to 4 p.m.
With the 250th anniversary of American independence upon us, the New Hampshire Historical Society and New Hampshire Humanities invite representatives from museums, cultural organizations, and local historical societies around the state to join us for a summit on the upcoming celebrations and commemorations. Find out what organizations in New Hampshire have planned, share ideas with your colleagues, and learn about potential grant opportunities. This is an in-person event, and we ask that no more than 2 people attend per organization. There is no charge for this summit. Register through Humanitix.com.

Member Excursion: Museum of the American Revolution and Winterthur Museum and Garden
Sunday, June 1, to Wednesday, June 4, 2025
This special, members-only trip visits two prestigious institutions to see rare New Hampshire items that will be on display. At the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, the Society’s two Revolutionary War flags—the only stand, or set, of flags in existence from this period—will be featured in “Banners of Liberty: An Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags.” Winterthur Museum and Garden in Delaware highlights several New Hampshire displays. Both institutions will provide exclusive private tours for our group, and Philip Zea, retired president and CEO of Historic Deerfield and a former Society trustee, will join us. Space is limited, and registration is required. The cost for this trip is $750 per person, but please note that this fee does not include the costs of travel to and from Philadelphia or hotel accommodations. Register through Humanitix.com.