Dedham Historical Society & Museum

The Dedham Historical Society & Museum was founded in 1859 for the purposes of collecting and preserving material related to the history of Dedham, MA, from the 1600s to the present. The DHSM works within the community and beyond to establish an appreciation for the town’s history and place within the culture of the region, connecting the past to the present. Established in 1636, the original land grant extended 200 miles to the border of what is now Rhode Island, since sectioned into 16 towns. The DHSM holds an important collection of American fine and decorative arts relating to the town and early Massachusetts history, and a library and archives housing rare materials ranging from original documents from the town’s founding, industries, military, maps, church and civil records, etc. Dedham is the seat of Norfolk County and home to many “firsts” in the nation.