About Our Collections

The Rye Historical Society's collections of over 8,000 artifacts describe the daily life of Rye citizens from the colonial era to the present. The collections include furniture, decorative arts, toys, political memorabilia, archaeological artifacts, bed linens, wedding and other apparel, military uniforms, dummy boards and tools. Periodic exhibits in the Square House and Knapp House highlight items in the collection. Recent exhibits have included pottery, textiles, costumes, samplers and china from the collection.

Many items in the collections are on permanent display in the Square House Museum. The Museum is interpreted as an 18th century inn and tavern. It has five period rooms: the front hall, tavern room, the warming kitchen, upstairs hallway and the inn keepers bedroom. Each room contains furniture, decorative arts and every day objects that illustrate tavern life during the late 1700's. There is also a tavern bedroom furnished with reproductions of items commonly found in an 18th century tavern bedroom. These items can be touched and handled so that 18th century tavern life can be experienced first-hand.