Sawin Museum

The Sawin Museum, originally known as the Sawin Memorial Building, was constructed in honor of its benefactors Eudora and Benjamin Sawin in 1906. The Sawins were charter members of the Dover Historical Society established in 1895 and they recognized the need to house its growing collection of local memorabilia and artifacts.

The Museum provides a synopsis of the history of Dover through the ages, starting with the earliest evidence of human occupation in the area some 5,000 years ago, represented by the Indigenous People’s stone tools. Their descendants the Nipmucks made our fine collection of rare splint wood baskets.

CIVIL WAR FIELD DESK

Papers inside the field desk tell
the story of the war as it happened around the field desk

What’s “On View”

Just a few of the many collections on view at the Sawin Museum

Well-labelled displays shed light on Colonial, Revolutionary and Federal life in Dover all the way through the 20^th century, including the three major wars in which the townspeople played a role.

Also featured is a recreation of from one of Dover’s schools in the 1850s, along with 19^th and early 20^thcentury items from local households used for food preparation, as well as carpenter’s and mechanic’s tools, a cobbler’s workshop and a variety children’s toys including a doll’s house once belonging to Amelia Peabody.