For Students:

4th Annual Nancy Carnegie Merrill History Award Essay Contest -- January - April 2010

Every winter the Exeter Historical Society invites students from the Exeter area, between the ages of 12 and 18, to compete for the Nancy Carnegie Merrill History Award in honor of our esteemed former curator for her invaluable contributions to the preservation and interpretation of our local history.

Students at the Cooperative Middle School, Exeter High School and Phillips Exeter Academy are invited to enter by contacting faculty members in their social studies departments. Students who do not attend one of the above-mentioned schools, but who live within the geographic area served by SAU16 and are eligible to attend one of the schools, may enter by contacting the Exeter Historical Society for further information.

This year's theme is "Abraham Lincoln in New Hampshire, 1860" and the essay question is: "Using accounts of Lincoln's New Hampshire visit and/or the speeches he gave, reflect on how his experience in New Hampshire propelled him toward the national stage."  Possible sources include the Cooper Union Speech, his Exeter speech (as reported in "The American Ballot"), the book "Abraham Lincoln in New Hampshire" and other sources found on our Lincoln website.

A panel of judges will choose one essay from each school division that best meets the criteria of outstanding achievement in format, historical accuracy, originality, and style. Winning essays will be read by the authors at our annual Youth Night awards ceremony -- Wednesday, April 21 at 7pm -- and printed in the Society's Newsletter. A $100 prize will also be awarded to each winner. It is our hope that the Nancy Carnegie Merrill Award will foster an appreciation for our community and an interest in its past.

For additional information, please contact Laura Gowing, Program Manager.

4th Annual Nancy Carnegie Merrill History Award Essay Contest Flyer

For Teachers:

School Group Visits:

The Exeter Historical Society welcomes school children of all ages interested in an aspect of Exeter history. To the classroom teachers, we offer on-site programs at the Historical Society, outreach visits at your school, or a combination of the two catered to fit your particular needs. If desired, we will work with the teacher to customize a program to help meet specific educational standards. There is a minimal charge for some of these programs.

Coming Soon! Local History Curriculum Online:

We are in the process of converting Deborah Kanner's Exeter, New Hampshire: a Local History Curriculum Program to a digitized format so that it will be available online as a resource to teachers. The Local History Curriculum was designed to aid fourth and fifth grade teachers in presenting local history to their students, using Exeter, NH, as an example.