19 Grove St. ~ PO Box 58 ~ Peterborough, NH 03458 ~ 603-924-3235 

Archives Research is by appointment only. Please contact us at (603) 924-3235 to schedule an appointment.

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Monadnock Center CollectionsThe archives hold 1,100 collections of primary source documents on a wide variety of topics. The materials range from family collections to business records to the records of community and cultural organizations. The materials date from the 18th century to the present. Here are just a few highlights:

The Smith Family Papers
The largest collection in the archive, the Smith Family Papers provide a rich record of one of the town’s founding families and represent in microcosm both the history of Peterborough and New Hampshire. The papers include business and household accounts, correspondence, and journals. Dr. Albert Smith’s papers include 50 years of household accounts, records of his medical practice, and materials collected for his 1876 town history and genealogy.

The Governor John Hardy Steele Papers
John Hardy Steele (1789-1865) was born in North Carolina and settled in Peterborough in 1811. He became involved in manufacturing and installed the first power looms in New Hampshire at the Phoenix Factory in 1817. Steele served as NH Governor in 1844 and 1845. The collection largely consists of letters to Steele, and copies of letters to friends, relatives, political acquaintances, and newspapers.

The Peterborough Transcript Collection
Transcript newspapers from 1876 to the present.

The Charles Wilder Factory Collection
Spanning the years 1860 to 1903, this collection is a fascinating record of the Charles Wilder Thermometer and Barometer Factory. The collection includes catalogs, accounts payable, accounts receivable, ledgers, sales logs, and correspondence for each year Wilder manufactured thermometers and barometers in town.

Genealogical Collections
The Historical Society has several family collections that include genealogical materials. Among the families represented are: Ames, Babcock, Beverstock, Blair, Bocelli, Bowditch, Buss, Carter, Chase, Clark, Dunbar, Evans, Faxon, Gerry, Gilchrest, Gould, Green, Gregg, Hadley, Hamilton, Hannaford, Harriman, Hill, Hunt, Hunter, Jenkins, Jones, Kendall, Kyes, Lawrence, Little, Livingston, McNee, Miller, Moore, Morison, Morrison, Morse, Nay, Nichols, Paquet, Parish, Peaslee, Piper, Preston, Reed, Robbe, Robbins, Royce, Ryan, Seybolt, Shedd, Smith, Spaulding, Spofford, Stimson, Taggart, Taintor, Templeton, Towne, Townsend, Tufts, Waites, Walker, Wallace, Weston, Wheeler, White, Whittemore, Wilder, Wilson, Wood, Wright, Young, and Youngman.

If you don’t see your family name, contact us- we are always adding new materials to our collections.

Monadnocl Center distance researchIf you live at a distance and are unable to make a research visit, we would be happy to assist you. We can conduct genealogical and local history research in response to mail, telephone, and email requests. A standard fee of $20 is charged for this service. There may be additional costs for large numbers of photocopies or if your request requires more than one hour of research time.  If your request will exceed the $20 standard fee, we will ask you to pay for additional time at the rate of $20 per hour before the research is conducted. Most requests can be accomplished for the standard $20 fee, which can be paid via a Paypal invoice that we can send you via email, or in advance by check.

Monadnock Center photo reproductionWith more than 30,000 images, our photograph collection is a rich resource for students, researchers, publishers and the community. We can duplicate photographs for a fee of $8 per image. We can provide the image to you as high resolution digital file on a CD or send it to you via email. If you prefer a print, we can make a photographic quality print up to 8” x 10”.

Photographs from the collection may be reproduced for print or electronic publication with the express written permission of the Monadnock Center for History & Culture and upon payment of a reproduction fee of $50 per image.

Arrangements for photos are made via phone or email communications. Once the arrangements are finalized we can send you a Paypal Invoice which allows you to pay securely with any credit card. If you prefer, you may send a check and the purchased item will be delivered on receipt of payment.