Francestown Improvement & Historical Society
Connecting People to the Past and To Our Community Today

The Francestown Improvement and Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Mailing Address:    P.O. Box 147     Francestown, New Hampshire  03043
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Proud Recipient of a 2015 LCHIP Grant
    
The Beehive is the Museum of Francestown’s History and the headquarters for the Francestown Improvement & Historical Society (FIHS). Through the Museum’s many rooms visitors see evidence of the Town’s long, varied and vibrant history.

When you enter the Beehive, you are on the upper floor. In the hallway you will see the Pacific Clark Francestown Postmaster Desk and photos and sign remnants from the 1964 fire on the Main Street that consumed the Colburn Store and surrounding homes. As you move to the room on right and continue counterclockwise, you will discover:
                Business and Industry Room - soapstone, hats, tools, publishers, business signa
                Arms & Armament – Swords, WWII Town veterans, Sheridan saddle and uniforms.        
                Around the House – Household and everyday life items, spinning wheel, sampler. 
                Farming – Artifacts and implements from Hob & Knob and other farms.
                Members’ Room – Francestown History Books, genealogies, Thulander Thesis.
                People and Places – Levi Woodbury bust, Lady Wentworth photo. 
    Lower Level
                Master’s Chamber: Downstairs to the right, the room is set up as if the Master lived there, using
                        furniture and items from the collection.
                School Room: Downstairs to the left, desks from the academy, diplomas, doll house, Cornet Band
                        drum.
                Workroom – Non-public curators work room for items to be sorted and catalogued.
                Kitchen/Office – Non-public office and kitchenette area.

History of the Beehive
Constructed in 1846 as a companion to the adjacent Francestown Academy building (now the Town Hall), erected in 1847. Construction of the two buildings is similar, utilizing King and Queens’ trusses. Large rooms on two main levels offered flexibility for boarding and other functions. An unusual degree of at-grade access at two and possibly three of its floor levels, plus being a students' residence gave rise to the name “The Beehive”. 
There were only three owners until FIHS purchased the building in 2004. After ten years of planning and fundraising FIHS secured lead gifts and a $90,000 grant from NH’s LCHIP to extensively renovate the building. Construction was completed in time to open for the 100th Labor Day Celebration in September, 2017. The Beehive joined the Thulander Vehicular Museum as one of two Heritage Museums located on the historic Francestown Town Common – a National Register Site.

Historical Significance
“Because the building is a rare architectural type, and because its original function was closely allied with the cultural and educational life of the village, the ’Beehive’ possesses architectural and social significance. The ’Beehive’ deserves preservation and
protection as a rare document of New Hampshire's educational history … While many village academies originally maintained boarding houses or dormitories, almost all such buildings have disappeared over the years or have been remodeled beyond recognition. The Francestown building, in contrast, retains a remarkable degree of integrity for the period of its construction.”
James Garvin, retired New Hampshire Architectural Historian, who toured the building in 1991 and in 2004. Following Summary above from his 2004 report.

The Beehive Museum
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