Carpenter Museum facts for kids
Carpenter Museum - Rehoboth Antiquarian Society - Rehoboth, Massachusetts
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| Established | 1976 |
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| Location | 4 Locust Avenue, Rehoboth, Massachusetts,  United States |
| Type | Local History Heritage centre |
The Carpenter Museum in Rehoboth, Massachusetts is a special place that tells the story of the town's past. It's like a time capsule, holding many old items that show how people lived and worked in Rehoboth long ago. The museum started in 1976, during America's 200th birthday celebration, to keep and share the collections of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society. This society has been around since 1884, working to preserve local history.
How the Museum Began
The Carpenter Museum was built thanks to a generous gift of land and money from Elsie and E. Winsor Carpenter, who lived in Rehoboth. Other people in town also helped by donating money. The new museum building opened in 1978, after two years of planning and construction.
The building looks like an old house from the 1760s, with a special "gambrel" roof. Inside, you'll find rooms for exhibits, a safe place to store old items, and a social room with a kitchen. The museum has more than 4,000 artifacts. These are all items that tell stories about the history of Rehoboth and the families who lived and worked there.
Fun Things to Do and See
The museum often hosts special events in its community room. It also has a gift shop where you can find books and items about Rehoboth's history and its people. For example, in 2011, they held an event called Tea with Emily. About fifty women and girls learned about the poetry of Emily Dickinson, saw 19th-century hats, and enjoyed tea.
The Astronomical Society of Southern New England meets at the museum every month. The museum also hosts many annual events, including:
- Arts in the Village Concerts – These are held with the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society.
- Fall Flower Show – This event is held with the Rehoboth Garden Club.
- Folk Arts & Artisan Show
- Horror Stories Grounded in Rehoboth – This is a fun event in October.
- Ice Harvesting & Ice Cream – This event takes place in November.
- Remembering Rehoboth School Days
- Summer Clam Bake – Held every August.
The Carpenter Museum also has some very interesting collections. One special collection is its early needlework samplers. These are pieces of cloth with stitched designs, made long ago in the United States.
The E. Otis Dyer Barn
Next to the museum, there's a special barn. It's a copy of a barn from 1746, built using old-fashioned "post-and-beam" methods. This barn was built in 1993 during a "community barn raising." This means many people from the community worked together to build it! It was part of the celebration for Rehoboth's 350th anniversary.
The wood for the barn came from the land of E. Otis Dyer, a big supporter of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society. The barn is officially named the E. Otis Dyer Barn in his honor.
Awards and Recognition
In 2013, the Carpenter Museum won a special award called the Gold Star Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. This award is given to groups that do a great job of bringing arts and culture into their community. The museum won for its project called “Remembering Rehoboth School Days.” This shows how well the museum connects with the people of Rehoboth.
