Historical Society

Town SealThe Barnstead Historical Society was created in 1972 by an active group of citizens interested in preserving the town’s history. Fourteen of those individuals, who served as the steering committee, elected officers and board of directors were: Richard Golden, Stuart Merrill, Herbert Holmes, Helen Grove, George Hartshorn, Helen Merrill, John Locke, Ellen Grau, Eda St. John, Carl Knirsch, Hazel Clark, Carolyn Johnson, Dorothy Mulcahy and William Jenisch.

Since the first official meeting on June 29, 1972, the Society’s members have changed, but their dedication to its purpose has not.

The Society's major function is to discover, collect and preserve any material that would help to establish or illustrate the history of the area and its people and to educate the citizenry about that history. The history included the area’s exploration, settlement, development, population, education, agriculture, manufacturing, trades and transportation.

Materials collected include genealogies, biographies, papers, directories, pamphlets catalogues, programs, posters, journals, account books, pictures, maps, relics and other items that show the life, conditions, events and activities of the past and present.

Historical Society Treasurer