Our History
How Did the Museum Come to Be?
The Town of Francestown has, over the years, acquired some truly remarkable artifacts for a town of this size. With no dedicated place to keep these, they languished for years in various spots in town, none of which was suitable to properly protect and exhibit these artifacts. A resident of Francestown, O. Alan Thulander, did what he could to see that they were cared for, kept under cover and saw to some restoration of the items. It was his hope that we would someday have a permanent home for these artifacts where they could be made available to the public. It was Alan Thulander who guided the effort to get the museum built. Unfortunately he passed away shortly before the building was completed and never got to see the completed museum as it is today.
When Did the Museum Open?
Several years ago, Alan Thulander was able to obtain a standing, 100+ years old barn located in Weare. Members of the Francestown Volunteer Fire Department went to Weare and dismantled this barn, carefully labeling every component so it could be re-erected in Francestown. Concurrent with this effort we entered into an agreement with the Francestown Improvement and Historical Society for a portion of their land where the museum now stands. Over the next couple of years the building was slowly re-erected on its new site where it stands today. Again, the Fire Department volunteers provided the labor for this construction to succeed. In the fall of 2014 the museum was dedicated and donated to the town. The Francestown Board of Selectmen then appointed two volunteer citizens to be the curators of the museum. Since that time the number of donated exhibits has increased dramatically and there are now some 142 artifacts/exhibits. 2016 will mark the second full year of operation.
Most all our exhibits can trace their origin back to Francestown and the area. They represent items indigenous to our area. While several exhibits are on long term loan, most have been donated to the museum through the generosity of Francestown citizens. Most are in their original condition, while others have had some restoration work. We strive to avoid any unnecessary restoration in order to preserve an item as it was when in use. Our aim is more preservation than restoration. If any restoration is necessary, it is only to ensure the integrity of the items or to replace/replicate a missing component. While this means that some items are not particularly pretty, they are true to their origin and appear as they were when last used.