The Carpenter Museum in Rehoboth, Massachusetts is the town's museum of local history, originating during the American Bicentennial year as a facility to house the collection of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society which was incorporated in 1884.FoundationThe Carpenter Museum utilized a seed donation of land and money from town residents Elsie and E. Winsor Carpenter. A fund drive raised additional funds to build the new museum facility which opened in 1978 after two years of preparation and construction. The structure, modeled after a local 1760 gambrel-roofed house, contains exhibit rooms, an artifact storage area, and a social room with kitchen facilities. The museum contains over 4,000 artifacts related to the history and families who lived and worked in Rehoboth.ActivitiesThe museum hosts special and local interest events in its community room. It has a gift shop specializing on Rehoboth history and its people. For an example,Tea with Emily was an event held in 2011 that introduced about fifty women and girls to Emily Dickinson poetry, 19th Century hats and tea. Monthly meetings include the Astronomical Society of Southern New England which meets monthly at the museum. It also host annual events.These include; Arts in the Village Concerts - in conjunction with the Rehoboth Antiquarian SocietyFall Flower Show - in conjunction with the Rehoboth Garden Club - FallFolk Arts & Artesian Show - Horror Stories Grounded in Rehoboth - OctoberIce Harvesting & Ice Cream - NovemberRemembering Rehoboth School DaysSummer Clam Bake - August The Carpenter Museum has a number of holdings of national interest, including its collection of early needlework samplers made in the United States.
