Hearse House Museum

651 Old Turnpike Road, Salisbury, NH 03268

Open Saturdays 1-3 pm, in the Summer & on Salisbury Old Home Day

Chronology of the Hearse House

1885 – A storage shed was built for the Salisburys’ horse-drawn hearse.

1912 – A larger addition was made for a snow roller.

1927 – Snow Roller was replaced by a Tractor and Plow. We wonder what ever happened to the snow roller.

1967 – The formation of the Salisbury Historical Society was signed and registered with the Secretary of State.

1967 – The Town of Salisbury then sold the Clerical Desk and Hearse, located in the Hearse House, to the Salisbury Historical Society for $1. With covenants ensuring those items remain public within Salisbury.

1967 – A right-of-way easement was issued to Mildred Noelte for passage to her property.

1990 – The Museum was opened by our then-President, Anne G. Smith. It was her vision to turn this Hearse house into an appropriate space to display the Town’s horse-drawn hearse, Clerical Desk, and many other Salisbury artifacts that had been donated to the Society for preservation. We remain grateful to Anne Smith’s vision and determination, and to all those who worked to create and preserve the Hearse House museum. Additionally, the site features a reconstruction of a country store with goods, an old Salisbury Post Office unit complete with mailboxes, an old Salisbury telephone switchboard system, and various tools. Salisbury Quilts, Samplers, Old Medical kit, and objects of historical interest are on display.

1995 – A new deed for the Hearse House was filed with the Registry of Deeds, giving the Salisbury Historical Society ownership of the Hearse House, replacing all former deeds for the property. The deed contains covenants on the property.

2014 A much-needed extensive exterior painting project took place during which time old paint was removed on both the Meeting House and Hearse House (adjacent Museum). This was done in accordance with environmental regulations and at considerable expense to the Society, but it was necessary. Maintenance was also performed to ensure their preservation.

2015 – A new roof was installed

2025 – The original horse-drawn hearse is still on display to this day.

On October 27, 2025, the Hearse House Museum was certified and added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.