The Tavern was built by Captain Isaac Wyman in 1762 and operated as a tavern by the Wyman family for 40 years. The first meeting of the trustees of Dartmouth College under President Eleazar Wheelock was held here on October 22, 1770. It was also from this tavern that 29 minutemen started their march to Lexington and Concord in April of 1775 under the command of Captain Wyman, a veteran of the Indian Wars.
Summer Quilt Exhibit
The summer exhibition Piecing Together Our Quilting Past and Present is a special collaboration between the Historical Society and the Cheshire Quilt's Guild. The quilts represent a variety of quilting techniques and historical periods, with some quilts made by Guild members, historic quilts on loan by Guild members, and others drawn from the Society's collection. Rooms of the Tavern will feature a different quilting technique, and each technique will be explained through the use of displays and posters and examples from both historic and contemporary quilts.
Demonstration Day
As part of the exhibition, members of the Cheshire Quilters’ Guild will offer a Demonstration Day at the Tavern on Saturday, July 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guild members will offer demonstrations on quilting techniques as represented in the exhibit, such as hand quilting, English paper piecing, crazy quilting, hand appliqué or redwork, and others, as well as address any other quilting questions you may have.
The Cheshire Quilters' Guild has been serving the quilters in the region for 20 years. They meet the second Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the Keene Recreation Center with all levels of quilters welcome to participate in their programs, workshops, and show and tell. In addition to monthly meetings, Guild members undertake community service projects, cuddle quilts for pediatric patients at Cheshire Medical Center, and quilts to decorate the Kingsbury Cancer Center.
Piecing Together Our Quilting Past and Present will be on view through August 31st. For further information on the exhibit, please contact HSCC at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org.
Museum Hours
During the summer, the Tavern is open between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday from June 1 to Labor Day and by appointment. Spring (May) and fall (September - Mid November) tours of the Tavern are by appointment only. To schedule a tour or for further information on the Wyman Tavern, summer events, school tours, or reenactments, please contact the Tavern during its summer hours at (603) 357-3855 or our main office at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org
The Wyman Tavern Museum is located at 339 Main Street in downtown Keene, New Hampshire.
School Groups
Guided school group tours of the Wyman Tavern Museum are scheduled during the months of May, June, September, October, and November. Group leaders may also wish to consider combining their Wyman Tavern tour with a visit to the Historical Society and the Horatio Colony House Museum. HSCC offers several interactive activities for students along with our permanent and feature exhibits. The Horatio Colony House Museum also offers guided tours and student oriented activities. All three facilities are located on Main Street and within a short walking distance from each other. If you need transportation help to visit our museums, HSCC and the Horatio Colony House Museum have a Transportation Fund that covers the cost of a school bus for a day long experience at our three museums.
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The Wyman Tavern is one of Keene's most historic houses. Built more than two centuries ago, the Tavern has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and maintained as a period house museum representing the periods from 1770 to 1820 and 1820 to the 1870s.
The Reverend Zedekiah S. Barstow, Yale graduate and the last minister settled by the town in 1818, made his home in the tavern for 55 years. In addition to his pastoral duties, the Reverend Barstow conducted a private school at the house. His most famous pupil being Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury in President Abraham Lincoln's cabinet, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Guided tours of the Wyman Tavern Museum are conducted from May to mid November. In addition to tours, the Historical Society also sponsors a summer exhibit, the Wyman Tavern Lecture Series on Early American Life in Cheshire County, summer programs for children, and living history events, such as Revolutionary and Civil War encampments. There is a $3.00 admission fee per person to visit the tavern, with Historical Society of Cheshire County members admitted free.