The Historical Society of Cheshire County(HSCC) was unique from the beginning because it was, and remains, the only county historical society in New Hampshire. The first public meeting was held in July 1927. At the meeting, bylaws were adopted and officers were elected. Samuel Wadsworth, a Keene jeweler, surveyor, and local historian, was selected as the first president. The interest in the Society was enormous as 250 charter members were enrolled. The Keene Public Library made available meeting and museum space. Historical lectures were presented at regular meetings as they are today. Most importantly, the newly established society laid a strong foundation for the encouragement of donations and important artifacts. In 1974 the Society opened a local history museum at the Colony House on West Street in Keene. Building on its already extensive collection of local glass and pottery, the Society transferred its remaining collection from the public library to its new home at the Colony House Museum. Today, the Historical Society of Cheshire County is located at 246 Main Street in Keene and has evolved to more than 1,000 members, 6 employees, 100 volunteers, and a 13,000-square-foot facility that includes a research and genealogy library with more than 300,000 local history items in the collection. The dreams that Frank Kingsbury, Clifford Wilbur, and Ella Abbott had of an organization to preserve the county's history have been realized, and the Society itself has now been a part of the region's rich history for more than 90+ years. All photos on this page are from the collections of the Historical Society. Please do not reproduce these images without obtaining permission from the Society. For reproduction permission or to order prints, please contact Kathy Schillemat at 603-352-1895 or [email protected].
