Exhibits
Firefighters Exhibit
Our Firefighters Exhibit contains many pertinent photographs and artifacts, the largest of these being this pumper. This first end-stroke fire engine in Nashua was purchased by the Nashua Manufacturing Company in 1824 for use in the mills. Built by the W. Hunneman Company of Roxbury, Massachusetts, the #103 handtub was originally called the "Jackson Mill", but was later renamed the "T.W. Gillis" in honor of the famous Nashua Manufacturing Company agent, Thomas W. Gillis. In 1857 Thomas Gillis became the third mayor of Nashua.
.jpg)
Nashua Manufacturing Company
The Nashua Manufacturing Company was chartered in 1823 to manufacture cotton, woolen, and iron goods. It was a major employer in Nashua until it closed in 1945. Come see our displays of artifacts and pictures of this company.
Frank R. Mooney Nashua Tool Collection
The woodworking hand tools in this collection were made in Nashua in the second half of the 1800s. Many of these tools were manufactured by the Underhill Edge Tool Company, located in the southeastern part of Nashua. View a variety of these tools and discover the link to Lizzie Borden.
At Home and Abroad: Nashua and World War II
Our World War II Exhibit features artifacts, photographs, and history of World War II. A focus of this exhibit is the home front - the effect of the war on Nashuans.
Hats Exhibit
The Hats Exhibit features mens and womens hats from decades past. This was a time when "dressed up" meant a suit, polished shoes, and a hat for men. For women it meant a dress, heels, hat and gloves.
Disaster Staircase
The back staircase from the basement up to the second floor contains many photographs of disasters to hit Nashua, including the Crown Hill Fire in 1930, the Flood in 1936, hurricanes in 1938 and 1954, and train wrecks.
Frank M. Ingalls Exhibit
Frank M. Ingalls was a photographer in Nashua from the late 1800s through the 1940s. He documented the city through his photographs and by collecting photographs taken by others. In the 1950s he donated the Nashua photographs to The Nashua Historical Society. This collection numbers approximately 5000 images and some of these images are on display on the second floor of the Florence H. Speare Museum and some are in our online catalog at https://nashuahistorical.pastperfectonline.com.
​
