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Exeter NH Folsom Tavern gets new roof thanks $30K grant
EXETER — The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation has awarded the American Independence Museum $30,000 to replace the roof on the Folsom Tavern.
The award could not have come at a better time, according to American Independence Museum Executive Director Jennifer Carr. “Water was beginning to damage clapboard siding, wood trim around doors, and the attic,” she said of the 1775 building.
According to David Ward, co-executive director of the Eppes-Jefferson Foundation with his wife Sharon, the project resonated with their philanthropic objectives, especially after they visited the property.
“When we visited and talked with Jennifer, we really sensed her authenticity and the credibility of the American Independence Museum—it struck us both,” he explained.
Sharon said the project also reflected an area of interest of William D. Eppes for whom the foundation was named. Born in 1918, Eppes formed the private foundation to support the arts, historical preservation, and education. “We generally like to fund projects that check two of those boxes,” she said.
Expressing appreciation for the American Independence Museum’s broader mission to tell inclusive stories through its recently launched “We Are One” initiative, David said the Eppes-Jefferson Foundation is interested in helping others tell their stories, too.
“One of the programs we are trying to get off the ground is ‘Looking Forward, Looking Back,’” he explained. “It’s a program basically designed to get people to preserve their family stories.”
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He said their hope is to launch the program by hosting workshops in which participants will learn basic skills in how to tell their life stories. “People can choose their format— whether it be a legacy letter, brief story, or spoken word recording,” he added. “We are excited about this program.”
Carr said she is also excited about “Looking Forward, Looking Back,” as she cited storytelling as fundamental to the human experience, an idea she said they will increasingly explore at the museum. “Everyone has a story to tell and everyone’s story matters,” she said. “We appreciate being part of Mr. Eppes’s story and that of his foundation.”
Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the American Independence Museum develops programs, events, and exhibits that honor and invite inclusive and diverse perspectives. In 2023, guided tours of Folsom Tavern and the Ladd-Gilman House take place Wednesday through Saturday at varying times. To learn more about the American Independence Museum, including “We Are One,” visit independencemuseum.org.
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