Our mission is to preserve the memory of events connected with the people and places of Durham; to serve as guardian of the town’s history; to preserve the artifacts of the town’s history; and to inform and educate the citizens of Durham and others of the history of the town and how contemporary Durham rises out of the past.

Founded in 1851, the Durham Historic Association is the oldest historical society in New Hampshire. The Association opened its museum in 1961 in the Old Brick Town Hall and has worked to care for and expand the collection. Over the course of its history, the museum has been a centerpiece for education, and an active membership advises and collaborates with the Durham Historic District & Heritage Commission about town history and historic preservation activities.

The DHA is a non-profit corporation under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. The association is operated by an Executive Board of elected officers and directors and invites membership in the organization to all residents and non-residents. Maintenance and interpretation of the collection and archive requires diligence and devotion on the part of Directors and the Curator, all of whom are volunteers.

In addition to its museum exhibits and the presentation of four programs each year, the Association oversaw the reprinting of the two-volume History of the Town of Durham New Hampshire published in 1913, detailing the colonial village of Oyster River in Dover from 1635, its evolution to become the Town of Durham in 1732 and its history through the beginning of the twentieth century. Also reprinted was the fascinating Landmarks in Ancient Dover by Mary Pickering Thompson published in 1892 that documents many local place names in Durham and the surrounding towns.  The Association has produced the new volume, Durham, New Hampshire: A History 1900 - 1985, as well as History in an Oyster Shell. In addition, a variety of local authors’ books about Durham are available in the museum and in our online store. Photographs for reprint can be arranged and other items are available at the Museum.

The DHA provides answers to queries from all over the United States and from other countries about our history and local genealogy as there are many people who can trace their ancestors back to the Oyster River Plantation, now Durham. Members of the Executive Board often give tours to relevant historical sites for descendants of the early residents, school groups and family name organizations, by appointment.