The
Carpenter Museum was built in 1978 to house the collection of the
Rehoboth
Antiquarian Society. Named after its chief benefactors,
Elsie and E. Winsor Carpenter, the Museum presently houses over 5000 artifacts relating
to the history of Rehoboth and the families that lived here.
History of the
Museum
In 1884
a young Rehoboth minister, George H. Tilton, decided that something should
be done to preserve the remnants of the town’s colonial past. Thus
inspired, he founded the
Rehoboth
Antiquarian Society in March of that
year. The Society was established for several purposes: to preserve
artifacts relating to Rehoboth's history, to maintain a meeting hall, and
to run a consolidated school. Construction started on the first
Goff Memorial Hall,
a large, wooden Victorian-style building, and it was dedicated in March
1886. The antiquarian room was housed on the first floor. In July 1911,
the building was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
Fortunately all of the artifacts were saved. A new Goff Memorial Hall was
quickly planned and built (this time of brick), and was dedicated in May
1915.
During America's bicentennial year, as community interest in local history
was at a peak, a decision was reached to build a separate structure to
house the collection of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society. Backed by the
donation of land and money from Elsie and E. Winsor Carpenter, a fund
drive was launched to raise funds to build a new museum on Locust Avenue.
Despite the doubts of many as to the feasibility of this project, the
Carpenter Museum was constructed entirely by donated funds at an eventual
cost of $73,000. Hundreds of volunteer hours were devoted to this large
endeavor.
Modeled
after a local 1760 gambrel-roofed house, the Museum contains exhibit
rooms, artifact storage area, and social room with kitchen facilities.
Also on the grounds is a reproduction of a 1746 post-and-beam
barn. It was
constructed in 1993 with a community barn raising, one of the events that
celebrated Rehoboth's 350th anniversary.
The Collection
The
original collection dates back to 1884 when the Rehoboth Antiquarian
Society was founded. Since that time, the collection has grown to over
5000 artifacts. The Museum and
Barn have displays that illuminate the
history of Rehoboth. The Museum exhibit area includes a reproduction of
17th-century kitchen with an open-hearth fireplace, a 19th-century parlor,
and a portrait gallery. Among the highlights in the collection are the
Civil War letters of a Rehoboth resident, a tall clock by Peregrine
White, a collection of 19th-century woodworking planes, and a diorama of
the Mason Barney Shipyard.
Peregrine White Clock |
Loom |
Mason Barney Shipyard Diorama |
King Philip cauldron |
The
Carpenter Museum actively collects artifacts that illustrate the
exploration, early settlement, history and growth of industry, culture,
and society of Rehoboth, from the earliest days to the present. The
objects collected must be historically or artistically significant and
relevant to the Museum’s stated purpose of preserving and perpetuating the
history and culture of Rehoboth. The objects must be appropriate for
present or potential use in exhibitions, research, education, or loans to
other museums. For further information about donating an artifact please
contact the Museum.
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