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Fayette County Museum Honored in Pewter

Nestled in the heart of Vandalia, Illinois, the Fayette County Museum stands as a testament to the rich history and cultural heritage of the region. This hidden gem serves as a time capsule, preserving the stories, artifacts, and memories of generations past. As visitors step through its doors, they are transported back in time to a bygone era, experiencing the essence of Fayette County's legacy.

Loudon, NH: Celebrating 250 Years of History and Progress

Loudon, New Hampshire is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. It was incorporated in 1773 by Governor John Wentworth. The population was roughly 5600 in the 2020 census. One of its large attractions is the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In honor of their 250-year anniversary, the town commissioned Hampshire Pewter to create a custom ornament. Loudon wanted to feature the town hall so our artists created a design showing the city hall that used to be a church, surrounded by a snow-cloaked ground, church-goers outside and a horse-drawn sleigh.

Dover, New Hampshire: Celebrating 400 Years of History and Heritage

Dover, New Hampshire, a charming city nestled on the banks of the Cocheco River is celebrating its 400^th anniversary, and what better way to honor the occasion than with a beautifully crafter pewter Christmas Ornament. Hampshire Pewter has captured the essence of Dover’s rich heritage by featuring the iconic City Hall on this special ornament. Continue reading to learn about the story of Dover’s four centuries, exploring its past, present and the ongoing celebration commemorating their 400^th anniversary.

Soldiers' Monument

Hampshire Pewter has been making an annual Christmas ornament for the Guilford Keeping Society for several years. A few of the landmarks they have featured include the Faulkner Island Light, the Monroe Cottage, the Henry Whitfield House, and the Cranbrook Tower. This year they chose to highlight the Soldiers’ Monument located in the center of the town green. Visit The Keeping Society's webpage and store at https://www.guilfordkeepingsociety.com

Airfield Café Custom Ornament 

The Airfield Café, in North Hampton, NH, requested a custom ornament featuring the restaurant’s logo. After collaborating with our artist, we decided on a circular ornament reading “The Airfield Café,”  “North Hampton, NH,” “Est. 1996.” The center shows their logo, a plane flying backwards with a pilot facing the opposite direction. The Airfield Café is a well-known establishment with a tremendous loyal following.

Barrington, NH Completes Series!

2022 marks Barrington, New Hampshire’s 300 year anniversary. For the occasion, the Barrington Tricentennial Committee commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make a series of three custom pewter ornaments with one being released each year leading up to 2022.

Castle in the Clouds

This is the 7^th custom ornament we have made for Castle in the Clouds out of Moultonborough, New Hampshire. The Lucknow House, gazebo, carriage house, and the Falls of Song have all been featured on previous ornaments. For their 2022 ornament, the Castle Preservation Society decided to show the quaint Maple Lodge.

Nottingham, NH Custom Ornament

Nottingham, New Hampshire has commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make a second ornament commemorating the town’s tricentennial. This year they chose to feature the Center School, located on Stage Road directly next to the Nottingham Police Department. The schoolhouse was built in the early 1800s and originally used as a church. Learn more about the Center School by clicking below.

250^th Anniversary | Northwood, NH

 While most of our custom projects are ornaments, we offer a variety of customizable products such as glassware, pins, keychains and coins. For Northwood’s 250^th anniversary they decided to have us create a custom coin for the occasion. Northwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. It borders Deerfield, Epsom and Strafford, Barrington and Nottingham. It was first settled in 1763. To learn more about Northwood click below.

6th Ornament in Series

Each year, we’ve created custom ornaments for the Guilford Keeping Society beginning in 2016. This year, the Cranbrook Tower is featured. It is a cylindrical stone water tower built in 1869. The tower was built to supply water to the Abel Chittenden house at 1 Broad Street in Guilford Connecticut.

For the third in a series of five ornaments celebrating the 400-year anniversary of Dover, New Hampshire, the city chose to feature the Fire Station located on Central Avenue. It was built in 1899 when fighting fires was a lot different than today. It served as the Fire Departments headquarters for over a century. It is still used today.

The Swing Bridge in Milford, NH

The Swing Bridge is a 200 foot iron cable suspended footbridge, spanning the Souhegan River in Milford New Hampshire. Built in 1889, pedestrians continue to use the bridge to this day. It's located on Souhegan St. and crosses the river into downtown near Pine St. The custom ornament was commissioned by the Milford Historical Society.

St. George's Independent School - 2021 Ornament

St. George's has commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make several custom pieces over the years including keychains and ornaments. In 2021, the school chose one of our own ornament designs and customized it to make it their own. To read more about St. George's Independent School click below. 

Custom Ornament for the Jamestowne Society

Last year, Jamestowne Society exclusively funded the rebuilding of the Barracks Structure, originally built in 1607 at James Fort. They contacted us to create a custom pewter ornament to properly commemorate such a significant historical undertaking. This was our second ornament we have designed for the Jamestowne Society. In 2018, we created a replica of the Jamestown Church Bell which was in commemoration of the 400^th anniversary of the first General Assemply of Jamestown Colony in 1616. Both ornaments are currently available for purchase to members of the Jamestowne Society.

Barrington, NH – Barrington Depot

The Barrington Tricentennial Committee will be marking the 300^th Anniversary of Barrington, New Hampshire with a celebration in 2022. They have assigned us the task of creating a series of three custom ornaments, one of which was released last year. The first ornament features Barrington Depot, the town’s old train station that no longer remains.

North Church | 350th Anniversary

We have made many custom ornaments for churches over the years and last year we added the North Church of Portsmouth, New Hampshire to our growing list. North Church is a member of the United Church of Christ denomination. The historic building is located right in Market Square, the heart of downtown Portsmouth, and its’ famous steeple can be seen from the Piscataqua River and as far as the shore of Maine. 2021 marks the 350th anniversary of the North Church. 

Axe Handle Distilling | Custom Keychains

While most of our custom projects are ornaments, we offer a variety of customizable products such as glassware, pins, paperweights, medallions, and keychains. Axe Handle Distilling requested two styles of keychains to be sold in their gift shop. The distillery is located in Lee County, Virginia, tucked into the picturesque landscape of the Appalachian Mountains. Axe Handle offers both bourbon and rye whiskeys as well as American gin. While a new company, they are growing constantly and even added nine additional employees during the global pandemic. To learn more about Axe Handle Distilling click below.

Vandalia, Illinois | 200th Anniversary

One of our recent custom collaborations was with Vandalia Historical Society in Vandalia, Illinois to celebrate the cities 200^th Anniversary. The ornaments were given to all attendees of their 2019 Christmas Gala at the historic Vandalia Statehouse. The Gala was an elegant event held December 6^th with food, drinks and live music. The Vandalia Historical Society is responsible for maintaining the Little Brick House, supporting the Historic Vandalia Statehouse, and promoting the rich history of Vandalia and the impact it has had on the development and growth of Illinois.

Camp Calumet - Custom Ornament

Last year we were assigned the fun task of creating a custom ornament for Camp Calumet. The camp was founded in 1959 and is located on picturesque Lake Ossipee, in Freedom, NH. Calumet is a year-round ministry of the Lutheran churches in New England. The ornament design they chose features a starry sky, pine trees, two figures beside a bonfire and a large setting sun in the background. A small crescent moon is cut out of the ornament. The name of the camp is featured on a banner across the bottom and 2019 is written across the top. The back of the ornament shows Lake Ossipee with sailboats afloat as well as a canoe rack. Find out more about Calumet by clicking below.

Auburn, NH | 175 Years

Auburn, NH commissioned us to create a custom ornament commemorating their 175^th anniversary. Auburn is a small town located 12 miles east of Manchester, NH. The ornament design they chose features a minute man standing in front of the Lake Massabesic, the town’s largest body of water. Originally settled by Native Americans as a fishing village called Massabesic, meaning "the place of much water," Auburn was finally incorporated with its’ current town name in 1845. Auburn, NH provides the perfect balance of rural living amidst New England’s picturesque scenery, while still offering quick and easy access to the city.

Dover, NH celebrates 400 years!

We are honored to begin working with the city of Dover on a series of custom ornaments celebrating their upcoming 400^th anniversary in 2023. For the first ornament, the city chose to feature the William Damm Garrison house. The house is not only the oldest house in Dover, but one of the oldest intact garrison houses in the U.S. It was built in 1675 in the back river district of Dover by William Damm for his son, John. The house was given to the Woodman Institute, where it now resides, by Mrs. Ellen P. Rounds. The house contains many historic artifacts and is open for touring during Woodman Institutes hours of operation.

GAWDA - LINCOLN MEMORIAL CUSTOM PIECE

This will be our second year working with GAWDA on making a custom piece for their Annual Convention. In 2018 we collaborated to make a model of the Seattle Space Needle as the convention was held in Seattle, Washington. The 2019 Convention will be held in Washington, D.C. at the end of September, and we have collaborated to make a replica of the Lincoln Memorial. Founded in 1945 as the National Welding Supply Association (NWSA), the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) has represented the distributors and manufacturers of welding supplies and materials for decades. To find out more about this project click below. 

We are excited to add another geographic ornament to our Christmas ornament collection. The latest locale represented is Cape Cod, Massachusetts! The hand-cast pewter piece features the map of the peninsula in it’s well-known “flexing arm” shape. The cape is a vacation destination for thousands of people every summer. It is known for its quaint New England towns, beautiful shorelines, outdoor activities, and of course fresh locally-caught seafood. Cape Cod is a perfect escape for those in search of an idyllic beach getaway.

The town of Tilton, New Hampshire commissioned Hampshire Pewter to make a commemorative ornament celebrating the 150^th anniversary of Tilton’s establishment in 1869. We collaborated with Tilton and together, we came up with a unique design featuring a few of the town’s landmarks. The front of the ornament features the Tilton Memorial Arch, also referred to as Tilton’s Folly. It is a 55-foot tall arch built in 1882, by Charles Tilton. The structure is located on Elm Street in Northfield, NH, atop a hill overlooking the town of Tilton. The back of the ornament depicts a statue as well as the old Tilton railroad station. The statue is called Timetable Mabel and shows a beautiful lady atop an arch that says “Tilton” across it. The statue is made of Italian marble and used to stand in front of the railroad station. Now she lives near the entrance to Tilton Island Park.