Lake Winnipesaukee Museum

History of the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum

The Museum’s property is itself an historic landmark and represents an era which changed the way Americans spent their summer vacations --- an example of the tradition of hospitality vital to the area’s history and economy since the 1800’s.

The property was purchased in 1923 by David O’Shan, a lifelong resident and long-time state legislator, who first had a poultry farm on the site. In the 1930’s, he developed the property into a cabin colony - the second one built in Laconia - as a place for visitors to stay while in the area. “Mr. Veteran,” as he was known, named the cabin colony the “Y.D. Cabins” after the “Yankee Division” of the Army in which he served during World War I.

The Museum building is the original residence and the yellow cottages nearby are part of the original cabin colony. One of the buildings is from the former Shangrila Resort.

The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society purchased the property in 1999 and spent five years developing and renovating the site. The Museum opened on a part-time basis in June 2004 and is now open.