Mission and Purpose
The Laconia Historical and Museum Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of all aspects of the history and culture of the City of Laconia, New Hampshire, and surrounding environs from its earliest inhabitants to the present day.
The Society places special emphasis on the three Laconia Piscataqua plantations from which the city took its name, as well as the three major and distinct population centers, downtown Laconia, Lakeport, and The Weirs. The Society strives to meet this goal through its collection of archival materials, artifacts of daily life, and fine and decorative arts. The Society fulfills its interpretive role through its exhibitions, educational programs, community services and publications and its preservation role through the collection, research, documentation, and appropriate conservation of relevant materials.
Description
The Laconia Historical and Museum Society is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Founded originally as the Laconia Historical Society in 1951, the organization was restructured in 1980 as a New Hampshire Voluntary Charitable Organization. In 1994, a second group, known as the Laconia Museum Society was incorporated in the city. The two organizations merged in 1998 and the surviving entity was named the Laconia Historical and Museum Society (LHMS).
The Society’s offices are housed in the Laconia Public Library, in the heart of downtown Laconia.
LHMS conducts monthly programs and airs current and past programs on a widely watched local cable-access television station, Lakes Region Public Access, Channel 25 of MetroCast Cablevision.
Changing exhibitions in the Laconia Public Library interpret both local history and American cultural themes to more than 137,000 patrons annually. Special events accompany most exhibits.