The Samuel Stetson House
The historic Stetson House was built between 1694 and 1716 by Samuel “Drummer” Stetson. John S. Barry, in his A Historical Sketch of the Town of Hanover, Mass., with Family Genealogies, calls Stetson a “somewhat noted man in his day, his house being a tavern stand, and a famous place of resort.”
The building was home to three generations of the Stetson family who occupied the home until the 1860s. In its earlier days, the home was indeed at one point a tavern in addition to serving other roles within the community. It also served as a meeting house, the town post office, and as a location for religious services at multiple points throughout its history.
The building was purchased in the early 20th century by Dr. L. Vernon Briggs, who made restorations and alterations to the structure before donating it to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now Historic New England. The Stetson House was sold back to the Town of Hanover in 1978 and it became home to the Hanover Historical Society. In 1979, the Stetson House was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the Stetson House remains home to the Hanover Historical Society along with its extensive collections and artifacts.The various exhibits with its rooms are dedicated to the Hanover’s agricultural, manufacturing, maritime, and military histories.
Doctor L. Vernon Briggs
Doctor Lloyd Vernon Briggs (1863–1941) was a prominent Boston physician, psychiatrist, and passionate antiquarian whose love for the South Shore of Massachusetts — particularly the town of Hanover — left a lasting mark on local historical preservation.
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Briggs built a distinguished medical career, becoming widely known for his work in psychiatry and forensic medicine. He served in various capacities in Massachusetts state government relating to mental health and was instrumental in advocating for the psychiatric examination of criminal defendants, a cause that led to landmark legislation sometimes referred to as the “Briggs Law.”
Yet beyond the medical world, Briggs harbored a deep and abiding interest in local history, especially that of Hanover and the surrounding Plymouth County towns. He maintained a residence in Hanover and threw himself into documenting and preserving the region’s colonial and early American heritage. He was a tireless collector of documents, maps, photographs, and artifacts related to the town’s past.
Briggs cared deeply about the history of Hanover, donating the Stetson house to the care of Historic New England for the use of the Hanover Historical Society. The society became a repository for local records and a gathering point for residents who shared his enthusiasm for Hanover’s story — from its early settlement and its role in the iron and shipbuilding industries to its agricultural traditions and its connections to the broader history of the Plymouth Colony region.
He was also a prolific author on historical subjects, producing works that explored the history of the South Shore and its people, including “The Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass.,” and “History of Shipbuilding on North River, Plymouth County, Massachusetts“. His research drew on primary sources and personal investigation, and his writings remain valuable references for local historians today. Including us!
Briggs’s dual legacy as a reformer in medicine and a champion of local history made him an unusual figure for his era — someone equally at home in the corridors of state government and the quiet archives of a small New England town. His founding of the Hanover Historical Society endures as one of his most tangible contributions, ensuring that the stories of Hanover and its neighbors would not be lost to time.
The Future of the Society
We are continuing our mission to preserve and teach the stories of those in Hanover to the community. You can see some of the results of those efforts here, with our online collections and exhibits.
If you’d like to help us, consider volunteering, donating, becoming a member, or even joining the board!
