New Boston Historical Society
New Boston, New Hampshire
About the New Boston Historical Society
We want you! Volunteers are always welcome to help us at the New Boston Historical Society.
Your energy, expertise, ideas and enthusiasm are needed.Because the museum is now open for only a few hours per week (this might change if we had more volunteers) and upon request, many of our volunteers do their research and other creative projects on their own schedule. Let us know if you'd like to help!
Please scroll down for information about our Officers, our Hours and Location, how to request a personalized House Sign to identify when your house was built, and a Scholarship available to a graduating New Boston high school student who intends to pursue studies in History.
| Officers (updated November 2024) | Board of Directors (3-year term) |
| David Woodbury, President | Jennifer Allocca (2027) | Dick Moody, Vice-President | Donna Bulka (2025) | Lisa Rothman, Secretary | Betsy Whitman (2026) | Steve Knaub, Treasurer |
The NBHS Building and Museum is open to the public every Thursday from 12:00 to 2:00 PM and after our bi-monthly evening meetings. We can arrange to open the museum for you at another time upon request, with advance notice.
NBHS meetings are free and open to all and are held on the second Thursday every other month at 7:00 PM in the NBHS Building or the Community Church across Mill Street. See the calendar for details. We look forward to seeing you there!
1. NBHS volunteers Polly Brendle and Betty Poltrack stand next to the Tavern Carriage which once met visitors at the New Boston train station. (2014 update: Polly was a long-time member of the Historical Society. We miss her!)
2. Two members of the New Boston Artillery Company, Howard Leonard and Brent Armstrong, stand next to the Molly Stark Cannon. Howard holds the "worm" that is used to clear the bore of the cannon after it is fired. A replica of General Stark's battle flag is behind Brent.
Dick keeps tweaking the old Town Hall clock hoping it will keep time more accurately. Is the time correct in the photo above?
On top of the teacher's desk from Schoolhouse #6 is a salesman's sample desk made by New Boston furniture-maker Willie Heath.
The coat and bonnet were made by Adelaide Colburn for her niece Margaret.
The eagle was shot by Roland St. Onge in 1961 as it carried off his beagle pup.
New Boston Historical Society
Wason Memorial Building
2 Central Square, New Boston
Mailing address: P.O. Box 595, New Boston, NH 03070
Phone: (603) 487-2526 – We check voicemail every Thursday.
Hours: Thursdays, Noon – 2:00 PM
E-mail:newbostonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Architects' rendering of the Wason Memorial Building before it was built in 1927
to contain the Whipple Free Library collection. Note the 1920s clothing style.
Personalized House Sign
The New Boston House Sign Program provides interested residents of New Boston the opportunity to purchase a personalized house sign with date of home and text of the owner's choosing. The purpose of the House Sign application - which you may download by clicking on the sample sign - is to document through the New Boston Historical Society the authenticity (date and historical ownership) of the signs obtained through this program.
CHARLIE & RENA DAVIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
The late Rena Davis helped to establish the New Boston Historical Society in 1968 and was the driving force behind it for nearly thirty years. In 2003, the Historical Society established the Rena Davis Scholarship in her memory. Rena's husband Charlie Davis was also very active in the Historical Society. In 2011, Charlie's name was added as a tribute to all the time he gave to the Society.The scholarship is awarded each spring to a graduating senior from New Boston who plans to continue his or her education in the field of history, social studies, archaeology, anthropology, or a related field. If no student interested in history (or a related field) applies, the $1,000 scholarship may be awarded to a New Boston college-bound senior pursuing any course of study.
If you would like to apply for the scholarship, fill out the scholarship application and submit it to the Goffstown High School Guidance Office by the first week of May of your senior year of high school. Contact the Historical Society if you are enrolled at another high school or are home-schooled. Update: You may also mail your completed application to New Boston Historical Society, P.O. Box 595, New Boston, NH 03070 to arrive by Friday, May 3, 2024.
Rena and Charlie Davis
June 2011 - Nate Welton
June 2012 - Dan Minnich
June 2013 - Jen Cashin plans to study History and Anthropology at the University of Maine. She hopes to do field work in archaeology and forensic anthropology.*
June 2014 - Alessandra Barone will attend the University of New Hampshire.
June 2015 - Emma Pinard will attend Plymouth State University.
June 2016 - John Comeau will attend Montana State University.
June 2017 - Melissa Mullen will study Archaeology at the University of New Hampshire.
June 2018 - Madeline Short will study Music and Music History at Simmons University.
June 2019 - Heather McGlauflin will study Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
June 2020 - Tim Lazott will study History at Southern New Hampshire University.
June 2021 - Jacqueline Dever will attend Georgetown University.
June 2022 - Sarah Gentili will study Social Sciences at the University of Vermont.
June 2023 - Caroline B. Heafield will study Biological Sciences at the University of New Hampshire.
June 2024 - Emma LeBourveau will study History at Keene State College.
* Jen Cashin received her Anthropology degree in 2017, pursued her Masters in Museum Studies at George Washington University and now works in a museum at the University of Oklahoma.
If you have suggestions or questions about our website, please e-mail the editor, Dan Rothman: townfarm@comcast.net
March 2019 update: Thanks to The Site Wizard for his help in making this website more Mobile-Friendly!
Postscript: Whatever happened to Dick Moody?On November 9, 2017, the Historical Society reluctantly accepted the resignation of Dick Moody, who was President of the Society from 2000-2017.
Dick was first elected President in late 1999 at an Annual Meeting of the Historical Society which he did not attend. Someone called the Moodys, Dick wasn't home, and Betsy said "yes" for him. For many years, the Moodys have given much of their time and energy to the Historical Society, and we look forward to their continued participation in our activities.
In the photograph (left), Dick Moody fights the British in Lexington MA on Patriot's Day 2015.
