American Independence Museum
The Gilman-Ladd House, the main building of the American Independence Museum
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| Established | 1991 |
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| Location | One Governor's Lane, Exeter, New Hampshire |
| Type | History museum |
| Public transit access | Exeter Station 0.6 miles (0.97 km) |
| Nearest car park | Spring and Water streets (no charge) |
| Website | www |
The American Independence Museum is a historic house museum located in Exeter, New Hampshire. Its 1-acre (0.40 ha) campus includes two buildings: the Ladd-Gilman House, a registered National Historic Landmark built in 1721 by Nathaniel Ladd, and the Folsom Tavern, built in 1775 by Colonel Samuel Folsom. The museum was opened in 1991 after a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence known as a Dunlap Broadside was found in the Ladd-Gilman house, 200 years after its arrival in Exeter. It is the centerpiece of the museum’s collection. The museum’s mission is “Connecting America’s Revolutionary past with the present.”
The American Independence opened in 1991, six years after a Dunlap Broadside was found in the attic floorboards of the Ladd-Gilman House. In August 1985, an electrician was wiring for a security system, when he pulled from under the attic floor old newspaper clippings and the Broadside. The electrician contacted the Society, who had the document authenticated. The Society opened the museum to educate visitors about the Declaration and the American Revolution. Since the museum’s opening, the museum has restored the Folsom Tavern, adding additional material and space to the museum. The museum now focuses on Revolutionary history and the role of Exeter and the Gilman family in the forming of the new nation.
The Ladd-Gilman House was the home of an 18th-century merchant family whose members played key roles in the birth of the United States. Nicholas Gilman, Sr. served as the New Hampshire state treasurer during the American Revolution when the capital of New Hampshire moved from Portsmouth to Exeter. Eldest son John Taylor Gilman read the Declaration of Independence to the citizens of Exeter in 1776 and later became New Hampshire governor for 14 non-consecutive terms between 1794 and 1805, and then again in 1813 to 1816. Nicholas Gilman, Jr. was a member of the Continental Army and a signer of the U.S. Constitution. In the early 20th century, the Society of the Cincinnati of New Hampshire purchased the building from the Gilman family and used the building as its meeting house, before converting the building into the museum. There are 7 rooms in the house open to the public for tours, with later additions now housing museum administration and a research library.
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