Old maps, photos featured at 'An Evening at the Museum'

MEREDITH ― Did you know that an old 1784 map of New Hampshire included two towns named New Salem, one of which was actually Meredith?

Or that an old circa 1860 photo of Meredith Village is the only known image of the infamous Meredith Town House that collapsed in 1855 during its first Town Meeting, known as the “Great Catastrophe?"

Or that an 1892 “Bird’s Eye View” map of Meredith Village shows booms of floating logs surrounding the sawmills on Meredith Bay?

Historians and docents of the Meredith Historical Society will open up their Main Street Museum on Tuesday evening, Feb. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. in order to show off some of the old photos and maps from their collection.

“Old maps and photos are among our most valuable resources,” said MHS President John Hopper. “They not only give local researchers a deeper understanding of a community’s beginnings and growth, they are also invaluable for those delving into the history of their individual properties.”

Historians John Hopper and Jane Rice will be on hand at the event to talk about how our maps tell the story of the development of both Meredith and New Hampshire.

“Our collection,” said Vice President of Preservation Bonnie Edwards, “ranges from the Revolutionary War period to 1960s’ aerial photos of Meredith and the Lakes Region.”

The Society’s “Evening at the Museum” will take place Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and all are welcome.

Programs of the Meredith Historical Society help fulfill its mission to preserve, develop, and promote the knowledge and awareness of Meredith’s unique history.

For more information, visit facebook.com/meredithhistoricalsociety.