Bennington Historical Museum, Historical museum in Bennington, United States.
The Bennington Museum occupies a former church at 75 Main Street in Bennington, Vermont, renovated and opened in 1928 and expanded in 1938, 1960, 1974 and 1999. Its galleries hold the largest public collection of Grandma Moses paintings, Vermont-made firearms from 1760 to 1900, Bennington pottery, the Jane Stickle Quilt and a 1924–25 Martin Wasp automobile. The grounds include the schoolhouse Grandma Moses attended, moved there in 1972.
The institution began in 1852 as the Bennington Historical Association and relocated to a former church building in 1923 before opening to the public in 1928. This transition marked its transformation from a private collection into a community resource for preserving regional history.
The Grandma Moses Gallery holds the largest public collection of paintings by Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860–1961), who took up painting in her seventies and is represented here by around 30 works. The museum also keeps the Jane Stickle Quilt and the Bennington flag, one of the oldest surviving stars-and-stripes banners.
The museum sits in central Bennington and welcomes visitors on most days of the week, though some days remain closed to the public. Checking hours before arriving helps ensure you can explore the entire collection without rushing through the galleries.
The Martin Wasp on display is the only surviving example of the 18 luxury cars built in Bennington by the Martin-Wasp Corporation between 1920 and 1924. The military gallery also holds Vermont-made firearms dating from 1760 to 1900, shown alongside material on the Battle of Bennington.
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