Strawbery Banke Museum congratulates former leaders recognized with national and statewide awards

PORTSMOUTH — Strawbery Banke Museum celebrates two former leaders who will receive prestigious honors for their lasting contributions to history and the humanities. Lawrence J. Yerdon, former president and CEO of Strawbery Banke Museum, and Jane C. Nylander, former president of Strawbery Banke Museum and Historic New England, have each been recognized with major awards that highlight their national and statewide impact.

Yerdon will receive the Award of Distinction from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) on Sept. 12 in Cincinnati. It’s the Association’s most prestigious honor given only occasionally to leaders whose careers have set benchmarks in the preservation and interpretation of history.

Nylander will receive the 2025 Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities Award from New Hampshire Humanities on Oct. 9 in Concord, the organization’s highest honor recognizing individuals whose work has profoundly shaped the humanities in the state.

“These honors underscore the lasting impact that Larry and Jane have had not only on Strawbery Banke Museum but on the entire field of history and the humanities,” said Linnea Grim, president and CEO, Thomas W. Haas Endowed Chair. “Larry transformed Strawbery Banke into a national leader in climate resilience and community engagement, growing the museum in innovative and sustainable ways. Jane was a thoughtful trailblazer who forged an identity for the institution that continues to guide our work today. Their legacies continue to shape the Museum.”

Yerdon, who retired in 2023, is recognized for transforming historic sites into models of relevance and sustainability. His leadership at Strawbery Banke emphasized both preservation and forward-thinking innovation, including nationally recognized climate change initiatives to safeguard the Museum’s historic buildings. His work and mentorship have advanced the field of public history, while his service on numerous boards and committees strengthened the broader museum community.

Nylander’s career spans more than five decades, marked by groundbreaking leadership at major cultural organizations, influential scholarship, and teaching that has illuminated New England’s history through the lens of daily life and material culture. Her books, including Our Own Snug Fireside and Best Ever! Parades in New England, 1788–1940, have brought the past to life for both scholars and the public.

Strawbery Banke celebrates these well-deserved recognitions as a testament to the enduring strength of the Museum’s leadership and its commitment to preserving and interpreting New England’s history for future generations.

For more information about the American Association for State and Local History awards, visit www.aaslh.org. For more information about New Hampshire Humanities and its awards, visit www.nhhumanities.org/awards.

About Strawbery Banke Museum:

Strawbery Banke is a nearly 10-acre living history museum in Portsmouth, NH, that interprets over 350 years of local history, from Indigenous history to the present. Through its historical houses on their original sites, heirloom gardens, traditional crafts, and costumed roleplayers, visitors are invited to explore the stories of the families who lived and worked in the authentic waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock. As the first Smithsonian Affiliate in New Hampshire, Strawbery Banke is part of a prestigious network of more than 200 Affiliates across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Panama.

Strawbery Banke welcomes visitors, members, schoolchildren, and volunteers for daily programs, exhibits, special events, and seasonal ice skating. Strawbery Banke Museum is funded in part by grants from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom; the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. For more information and a complete calendar of events, please visit StrawberyBanke.org.