The story of childhood has changed substantially in America over the last two hundred years. It is a complex topic, one that has been shaped by age, class, ethnicity, gender, geography, religion, and historical era. This exhibit will highlight some of the many aspects of the life of children in northern New England as it relates to the middle-classed family that lived in the Dana House from 1807-1945. This property has a long association with childhood over three generations. These children in this house, like others of the region, were shaped by their economic value and responsibility to their family’s well-being. A century later, there was a profoundly altered way that middle-class Americans regarded, instructed, and behaved toward their children. There is a variety of images and artifacts that document these changes over time.
