It’s America’s 250th birthday and the New Hampshire Historical Society is celebrating all month! While the Society has been offering special programs and events in honor of America 250 for the past year, July brings a statewide scavenger hunt, an open house on July 4, and a new exhibition, Witness to War. 

The fun begins on July 1 with the 603 History Hunt. Back by popular demand, the 603 History Hunt is a free statewide scavenger hunt all about New Hampshire and the American Revolution. Find the gravesite of the last surviving Revolutionary War soldier living in New Hampshire, visit the site in Lisbon where the militia mustered, or try your hand at an 18th-century recipe. 

“We ran a very successful scavenger hunt in 2023 in honor of the Society’s 200th anniversary,” said Director of Education and Public Programs Elizabeth Dubrulle. “Ever since then, people have been asking us when we were going to do it again. We thought the 250th anniversary of American independence this summer was a good opportunity to help people explore the state and see its treasures.” 

The 603 History Hunt is free and open to the public. Players can download the 603 History Hunt app from the App Store or Google Play. The hunt will go live on July 1 and end on July 31. There are dozens of challenges players can choose, all related to New Hampshire’s Revolutionary past. Some can be completed from just about anywhere in the state, while others are tied to a specific location in New Hampshire. Challenges ask players to complete a variety of tasks, such as film a video, take a photograph, or answer a trivia question. Players choose which challenges to complete and how many challenges they want to undertake, and they earn points and win prizes accordingly. 

One of the challenges asks players to visit the New Hampshire Historical Society’s free open house on July 4 and take a photo with a staff member. The Society will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day. In addition to completing a challenge, visitors will be able to enjoy guided tours of the exhibitions and view rare objects on display from New Hampshire’s Revolutionary past, including two flags from the Second N.H. Regiment of the Continental Army, learn 10 things they probably didn’t know about New Hampshire and the American Revolution, and participate in family-friendly games and activities. 

The Society’s newest exhibition, Witness to War: Treasures from the American Revolution, opens July 1. Witness to War tells the story of New Hampshire’s contributions to the Revolutionary War on the battlefield and at home. It shares objects from the Society’s collections that offer a glimpse of life during the turbulent years of the war and the sacrifices made by the men and women who helped forge a new nation. The objects come from all walks of life, from a canteen owned by Josiah Bartlett, who signed the Declaration of Independence, to a homespun linen shirt made by Mary Campbell Gordon for her teenaged son, who was serving in the militia.

 A highlight of the exhibition is a copper printing plate for New Hampshire currency, created by Exeter silversmith and engraver John Ward Gilman in 1775. The plate was used to print New Hampshire currency early in the war. It disappeared sometime in the 1850s and then resurfaced in 2010 when it was put up for auction in Minnesota. Eventually, it was purchased by the New Hampshire Historical Society and returned to its native state. Whether you explore the state with the 603 History Hunt or stop by to view the exhibitions, the New Hampshire Historical Society offers plenty of opportunities to find out more about our shared heritage this month.

 Founded in 1823, the New Hampshire Historical Society is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving, preserving, and sharing New Hampshire history. Nowhere will you find a more extensive collection of objects and archives related to New Hampshire's history. The Society shares these vast collections through its research library, museum, website, publications, exhibitions, and youth and adult educational programs. The Society is not a state-funded agency. All of its programs and services are made possible by membership dues and contributions. For more information about the Society and the benefits of membership, visit nhhistory.org or call 603-228-6688.