Museum is open by appointment, special events and when the OPEN sign is out.
Early Dwellings Croydon, N.H.
Samuel Morse, Esq. a native of Dublin, New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1811, and studied law with Hon. Geo. B. Upham of Claremont. He came to Croydon in 1815 and opened the first and only law office ever in town. He was State Representatives for this year 1834, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1850.
September 16, 1827 Samuel Morse, Esq. and Chloe C. Carrol (daughter of Dr. Reuben Carrol) were joined in marriage by Jacob Haven. Their daughter, Hannah Morse, was born in Croydon on November 11, 1830. Samuel Morse, Esq. died in Croydon on January 1, 1865 at the age of 81 of rheumatic fever. The house remained in the hands of the Morse descendants 113 years until 1928. There were only three other owners before the town of Croydon purchased the house in 2006; Sadie Muzzey, the Dubays, then Carl and Patty Richter.
The house is a Federal-Style building with 9.5' ceilings on the first floor. The parlor has distinctive designs on the window and fireplace, done by itinerant artisans in the early 19th century. The small room downstairs (the birthing/borning room) has matchstick boards on the walls. Matchstick boards, which are throughout the house, are uneven boards alternately placed to use every inch of the cut boards as sawn from the log. The old keeping room has a walk-in fireplace with a beehive oven. The buttery (or pantry) is also all original. Other features include the five fireplaces, three downstairs and two upstairs, a captain's staircase, Christian doors with early hardware, 12-over-12 hand-blown glass windows, built-in cupboards, gunstocks, wideboard floors, paneling and wainscot with original finish.
Samuel Morse, Esq. held court upstairs in a room with benches surrounding the room (as it is set up in the Town Hall). Traces of the benches still exist. The judge has a working farm of more than 200 acres and a woolen mill 500' northeast on the Sugar River that he ran with his brother, Royal Morse.
Interestingly, the front of the house is painted yellow, the "public color" while the back of the house is painted red, red being the less expensive paint color.
Croydon was settled in 1763. Early buildings in the East Village are the red school house built in 1780, the Congregational Church in 1854, the Town Hall built in 1824 (using timbers from the Meeting House from the Pinnacle), the Samuel Morse House in 1815, and the Sargeant Hotel in 1854. Across the way is the Alonzo Allen House circa 1770. Children attended school in the Alonzo Allen House until the school of 1780 was built.
Samuel Morse, Esq. a native of Dublin, New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1811, and studied law with Hon. Geo. B. Upham of Claremont. He came to Croydon in 1815 and opened the first and only law office ever in town. He was State Representatives for this year 1834, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1850.
September 16, 1827 Samuel Morse, Esq. and Chloe C. Carrol (daughter of Dr. Reuben Carrol) were joined in marriage by Jacob Haven. Their daughter, Hannah Morse, was born in Croydon on November 11, 1830. Samuel Morse, Esq. died in Croydon on January 1, 1865 at the age of 81 of rheumatic fever. The house remained in the hands of the Morse descendants 113 years until 1928. There were only three other owners before the town of Croydon purchased the house in 2006; Sadie Muzzey, the Dubays, then Carl and Patty Richter.
The house is a Federal-Style building with 9.5' ceilings on the first floor. The parlor has distinctive designs on the window and fireplace, done by itinerant artisans in the early 19th century. The small room downstairs (the birthing/borning room) has matchstick boards on the walls. Matchstick boards, which are throughout the house, are uneven boards alternately placed to use every inch of the cut boards as sawn from the log. The old keeping room has a walk-in fireplace with a beehive oven. The buttery (or pantry) is also all original. Other features include the five fireplaces, three downstairs and two upstairs, a captain's staircase, Christian doors with early hardware, 12-over-12 hand-blown glass windows, built-in cupboards, gunstocks, wideboard floors, paneling and wainscot with original finish.
Samuel Morse, Esq. held court upstairs in a room with benches surrounding the room (as it is set up in the Town Hall). Traces of the benches still exist. The judge has a working farm of more than 200 acres and a woolen mill 500' northeast on the Sugar River that he ran with his brother, Royal Morse.
Interestingly, the front of the house is painted yellow, the "public color" while the back of the house is painted red, red being the less expensive paint color.
Croydon was settled in 1763. Early buildings in the East Village are the red school house built in 1780, the Congregational Church in 1854, the Town Hall built in 1824 (using timbers from the Meeting House from the Pinnacle), the Samuel Morse House in 1815, and the Sargeant Hotel in 1854. Across the way is the Alonzo Allen House circa 1770. Children attended school in the Alonzo Allen House until the school of 1780 was built.