Woodman Institute Website donated by Patrick McElhiney - The three-story brick residence that people have called the Woodman Institute Museum for nearly a century was built in 1818. It had been the home of Annie and Charles Woodman, and at one time was shared with a famous Lawyer, Daniel Christie. Annie E. Woodman left $100,000 and the house to create a Dover Institution in her will when she passed away on January 7th, 1915. Her will allowed three trustees to manage the trust. The trustees opened the original three-building complex on July 26th, 1916 that included the Woodman Home, the Hale Home, and the 1675 Damm Garrison home, all located on Central Ave in Dover, New Hampshire. The Keefe House, located behind the Woodman Home, was recently acquired. The Woodman Institute Museum studies and lectures on local area history, natural history, and art. It took some time to accumulate the fine collections that are displayed throughout the museum’s exhibits that show nearly 1300 labeled rocks & minerals, hundreds of fossils, Native Indian artifacts including pieces from over three thousand years ago, mammals including the last cougar to be killed in New Hampshire in 1853, a ten foot polar bear, marine life such as a blue shark, one of New England's finest bird collections, butterflies, shells, a two-headed snake, a four-legged chicken, turtles, dolls, war artifacts, maps, documents, and the only surviving original Garrison House. The Woodman Home also includes the saddle used by President Lincoln while he was reviewing troops just before his assassination. Hale House The Hale House was built in 1813 by John Williams, founder of the Dover Cotton Factory. It was purchased by US Senator John Parker Hale in 1840. It shows the fine collection of navigational equipment and detailed ship models by Clyde L. Whitehouse. There is a desk that was used by Dover’s first Mayor, Andrew Pierce, in 1856, and a table used by Rev. Jeremy Belknap where he wrote “A History of New Hampshire”. Keefe House The Woodman Institute Museum recently acquired the Keefe House, which is located directly behind the Woodman Home and the Damm Garrison. It will house the Robert A. Whitehouse Library, containing more than 7,000 historical and genealogical documents preserved in a controlled environment, including wills back to 1741, city records between 1732 and 1800, 100-year old school records, and a 1771 tax bill from King George. The Keefe House was built in 1827 Asa Tufts, owner of Tufts Apothecary. The house was purchased in 1917 by F. Clyde Keefe, a local attorney and Mayor of Dover from 1934-1935 and 1942-1947. The home remained in the Keefe family for three generations. Damm Garrison The William Damm Garrison is located behind the Woodman and Hale homes under a covered wood structure where it has been since 1916. It was the residence of William Damm, the second son of Deacon John Damm, who was given land lot 11 at Back River in 1642. John gave his son William the land when he turned twenty-two and helped him build the garrison home, which was fortified with a large yard and a high stockade of logs placed upright in the ground. William Damm married Martha Nute, the daughter of James Nute, who lived in a nearby lot at Back River. William resided in the garrison until his death in 1718, and it was passed on to his son William who lived there until his death in 1740. Leah Damm, who had married Samuel Hayes, resided thereafter until 1770. Their granddaughter, Leah Nute, resided there with her husband, Joseph Drew, after they were married in 1771. In 1810, Joseph Drew built a mansion for himself. His son, William Plaisted Drew, inherited the garrison and the new house when his parents died. The properties were then passed on to his son, Edwin Plaisted Drew, when William died in 1868. In 1883, the home came into the possession of Mr. Bryant Peavey, who gave it to his daughter Ellen S. Peavey. She married Holmes B. Rounds and lived there with him through 1916, just prior to it being given to the Woodman Institute Museum. She spent 35 years taking care of the garrison and collecting artifacts, 800 of which are now on display within the historic home. It was moved three miles from Back River to its current location behind the Woodman and Hale homes. Visit The Woodman Institute Museum The Woodman Institute Museum is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 12:30PM to 4:30PM, except holidays. The museum is closed December 1st through March 31st. Please allow 1 ½ hours for your visit. Adults are $5.00, Students and seniors age sixty-five and over are $4.00, Kids ages fourteen through sixteen are $2.00, and Kids age thirteen and under are free. Reservations are required for groups of twelve or more people. A minimum donation of $50.00 may be required for groups requesting morning or evening hours. Family and Business memberships are available. For more information about groups and reservations, please contact us: 182 Central Ave Dover, NH 03820 Exit 7 Spaulding Turnpike Rt. 16 603-742-1038 Woodman Institute Museum Gift Shop Dover Was First - Woodman Institute Museum