We are a seasonal organization dedicated to preserving our town’s history, providing educational experiences and informative programs to the public, collecting artifacts and maintaining our museum, and providing an avenue for research.
On August 28, 1961, the first meeting of the Holderness Historical Society was held at the home of Susan Bacon Keith. Through the next years meetings were held in private homes, the Community Church and the fire house. When the New Hampshire Baptist Convention declared the North Holderness Church defunct the Historical Society purchased the building and had it moved from Perch Pond Road to Curry Place in 1994.
**NEW-See selected Holderness records under Archives
Museum Hours
July – September, Saturdays 10 am – noon or by appointment. Contact holdernesshistsoc@yahoo.com
Expanded museum hours – July 22 through August 26th – 10 AM to 2 PM.
Special Exhibit 7/22/17 – 8/26/17
2017 Programs
***September 7 7:30 PM
at Holderness Library
“Old Time Rules Will Prevail: The Fiddle Contest in New Hampshire and New England”
Adam Noyce
Fiddle contests evolved from endurance marathons to playing a set number of tunes judged by certain specific criteria. Whether large or small, fiddle contests tried to show who was the “best,” as well as preserve old-time fiddling and raise money for local organizations. In recent years, the fiddle contest has declined significantly in New England due to cultural changes and financial viability. The greatest legacies of these contests were recordings made during live competitions. A sampling of these tunes will be played during the presentation, as well as, live fiddling.
***Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council
Doing genealogical research? For the local cemetery, information see site maintained by member Carl Sheperd, website.