America 250! Plans for Exeter, NH

On July 4, 2026, the US Declaration of Independence will be 250 years old! The Exeter Chapter, 65 members strong, is busy making celebratory plans and getting ready for field trips. Below are some fun facts:

250 years ago this month, a year before the actual war, things were already heating up in New England. This April, Massachusetts will commemorate Paul Revere's famous ride and the Battle of Lexington and Concord. In June, the 250th of the Battle of Bunker Hill will be commemorated.

Did you know that Exeter sent its militia (aka Minutemen) to both of these events? The troops did not make it in time to Lexington, but they sure did make it to Bunker Hill. Some of these minutemen are now buried in the Winter Street Cemetery, a place the Exeter DAR has been watching over for the past 125 years since its inception.

Many years ago, the Exeter DAR placed the small stone and bronze marker on Swasey Parkway that points over to the "Powderhouse." This powderhouse held stolen barrels of gunpowder, that Exeter troops took with them to Bunker Hill, and were used to defend against the British.

Over the 125 years of its continuous existence in Exeter, the chapter has placed 14 historical markers, many of which you see every day. For a full listing, please see our website. http://exeter.nhsodar.org/mark...

We look forward to an interesting two years. Please stop by our booth at the American Independence Festival every July to see what we are cooking up next!