The NH Magical Maker Fair is back with an extra magical fall event!!! Join us on October 19th at the Woodman Museum to celebrate fall, the solstice, and Halloween! This event is free to attend and family-friendly. Not only will we have our amazing line-up of vendors, but we will be adding in even more […]
EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Looking for your next favorite title? Come find it at Garrison City Mini-Con! Discover local and indie creators in the comic book world. The con will feature comic book creators, authors, podcasters, vendors, a costume contest, and more! November 9th 10am-4pm at the Dover City Hall Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased […]
Come spend a spooky evening at the Woodman Museum with Paranormal Five. This is the first paranormal group investigation being held at the museum. Experience three historical buildings including the 1675 Garrison House. These buildings are filled with artifacts that could still hold some energy to them. You will be broken up into 3 groups […]
This NH Gives, we’re asking for your help with a vital piece of that work: saving one of the Hale House’s original three-story chimneys. Years of New England weather have left the brick vulnerable to water infiltration, threatening the structural integrity of the home. Your donation will fund the application of a commercial-grade, water-based ChimneySaver […]
Are you a rocks and mineral enthusiast? On June 18th, from 7-8:30pm come see a lecture given by Saint Anselm College Physics Professor Ian Durham! Located in the Woodman House of the museum Campus 182 Central Ave, Dover, NH. $10 non-members $5 members Advanced tickets can be purchased at the SimpleTix Link on the left […]
Part Farmers Market, Part Craft Fair, All Magic Amazing crafters, makers, and doers, all in one place. From handmade jewelry and lovely artwork to geeky gizmos and tarot readers, we have it all. Add in music, delicious treats, and unique entertainers, then set it all on the beautiful grounds of Dover, NH’s Woodman Museum. This […]
Join us July 17th, 6-7:30pm, in the Woodman House for our newest lecture, “Fashioning an Army.” This talk will be given by John Cookson, collections manager and designer of the corresponding exhibition on view in the Thom Hindle Gallery. Topics covered will include a guide of technical terms, the co-evolution of men’s suits and military […]
Born in nearby Rochester NH, John Parker Hale is best known as the first avowed Abolitionist Senator in the United States. It is an odd irony that, in the two decades Hale was in the Senate, Dover profited from the manufacture of cotton products that were produced by Southern slave labor. Living in William’s own house, Hale took a solid stand against slavery - a position that earned him enmity from Southern leaders, even a death threat on the Senate floor from a colleague. It also earned Hale a statue in 1892 on the lawn of the state capitol in Concord, NH, where his figure now stands with Daniel Webster, President Franklin Pierce and John Stark.
Today, the collections throughout two of the three floors of the Hale House are arranged into galleries displaying Hale Family artifacts, local and regional history, New England period furniture, fine and decorative arts and more.
The younger Charles Woodman inherited the estate from his mother. A successful financier and manager of the Strafford Savings Bank, he resided here throughout his life. He married twice: his first wife, Hannah (Coffin) Woodman, died in 1854 and in 1856 he married Annie (Allen) Woodman. When she died in January 1915, Annie Woodman left the sum of $100,000 “for the establishment …of an institution for the promotion of education in science and art and the increase and dissemination of general and especially historical knowledge.” The trustees of the estate acquired the Woodman house and the adjoining Hale House, which by chance came on the market that same year. The renovation of the interior was directed by local architect J. Edward Richardson, and the Institute opened in July, 1916.
Today, the collections throughout the three floors of the Woodman House are arranged into galleries displaying natural science (mounted specimens, rocks and minerals, fossils, seashells), Native American culture, military history, “childhood” history (schools, Scouting, toys, games and dolls), seasonal themed exhibits and more.
In 1915, Col. Daniel Hall (the founding Head Trustee of the Woodman Museum) had an interview with Mrs. Rounds and broached the matter of having the garrison and its contents removed to the grounds of the Woodman Museum. The proposition proved to be acceptable to her; in due time she made a formal gift of the Damm garrison to the Museum. Daniel Chesley was entrusted with the task of removing the house to its new home; it took him one week, using wooden rollers and a horse, to move the garrison to the grounds. Local architect J. Edward Richardson directed the construction of the protective outer “colonnade” building that surronds and protects the garrison currently.
Today, the collections throughout the two floors of the William Damm Garrison House are arranged into galleries displaying local Colonial and Early American history.
Today, the first floor of the Keefe House (the Thom Hindle Gallery) features rotating artist and artisan exhibitions throughout the year. The second floor of the Keefe House (the Robert Whitehouse Library) serves as administrative offices and a climate controlled archive. The attached two story Carriage Barn houses local and regional transportation, trades, farm, and household collections.
