The Carpenter Museum is a local history museum that celebrates the cultural heritage of the greater Rehoboth area.
Our Story.
Named in honor of major benefactors Elsie Carpenter and her son E. Winsor Carpenter, the Carpenter Museum began as a small collection of artifacts relating to Rehoboth’s history on display in the first Goff Memorial Hall in 1884. During America’s bicentennial year, a decision was reached to build a separate structure to house the collection of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society. In 1978, the Carpenter Museum opened our own building and operation under the patronage of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society. Modeled after a local 1760 gambrel-roofed house, the farmhouse contains staff offices, collections storage, exhibits, the E. Otis Dyer Jr. Research, and a community meeting space with kitchen facilities.
The E. Otis Dyer barn on museum grounds behind the farmhouse, was constructed in May 1993 as one of the celebratory events commemorating the 350th anniversary of the founding of Rehoboth. Eighty men and women came together and built the basic structure in a traditional barn raising over one weekend. The barn is based on one built in Rehoboth in 1746 on the property of Sylvanus Martin. It was designed and built to be used for the display and storage of artifacts in the museum’s collection. On the 10th anniversary of the building of the Barn, it was dedicated to RAS president emeritus E. Otis Dyer in recognition of his outstanding service to the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society and to the vision and effort that made the barn a reality.
Originally run by volunteers with a collection of a few hundred objects, the Museum has grown to have 3 part-time employees and a collection of over 10,000 rare books, documents, photographs, and objects. The E Otis Dyer Jr. Research room joined the Museum in 2018 and expanded its collection as well as its resources. Together, the Carpenter Museum and E. Otis Dyer Jr. Research Center have become a vital part of the Rehoboth community.
Our mission is to collect, document, preserve, and share objects related to the history of the area referred to as Old Rehoboth, established in 1643, which includes all or part of what is now Rehoboth, East Providence, Seekonk, Attleboro, North Attleboro, Pawtucket, Cumberland, and Swansea. The Museum stewards a collection of objects, including artifacts, photographs, archival documents, and books, and connects the greater Rehoboth community to the town’s history through interpretation of these artifacts in its exhibits and programming. The Museum seeks to promote learning about Rehoboth, New England, and American history through direct experience with objects from the past.
Our Staff.
Danielle DiGiacomo
Director
Danielle has been the Director of the Carpenter Museum since 2019. She has her B.A. in American History and M.A. in Museum Studies. Her background is in artifact collections work but in her 15 years of experience in the field she had dabbled in most aspects of museum caretaking. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Danielle was the Registrar for the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Carpenter Museum. She has a passion for American History, especially the stories of the common folk and has a special interest in the history of food, sports, and parenthood.
Chelsea Johnston
Assistant Director
Chelsea has been the Assistant Director for the Carpenter Museum since 2021. She has a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Museum Studies. Much of Chelsea’s career has focused on local history and historic spaces including work at Historic New England’s Otis House and the Newport Mansions Preservation Society. Throughout her career she has explored many sides of the museum field, though much of her work has been on the front end of things looking at interpretation, engagement, and education. Hailing from Rhode Island she was introduced to Rehoboth in middle school through the contra dances held at the Blanding Library. From her youth Chelsea has always been interested in the impact of storytelling, community building and social history. She is also the Program Coordinator at the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society.
Lende McMullen
Research Manager
Lende is a lifetime resident of Rehoboth who has watched the town’s rural landscape emerge as a suburban town. As a child she learned much from her grandmother who lived across the street from her family home. Lende holds a Masters in Education from Lesley University. She worked in the medical and education fields before volunteering at the E. Otis Dyer Jr. Research Center for many years. When the E. Otis Dyer Jr. Research Center became a focal point of the museum, Lende was hired as Research Manager. She maintains the Robert Trim Collection, collects sources of historic information, and offers historical and genealogical material for visitors. She is also the leader of the Rehoboth Genealogy Group that meets monthly at the Carpenter Museum. Lende believes Rehoboth is a wonderful place to live as it maintains some of its rural sensibilities, historic nature, and sense of community.