Dennis Historical Society Archives
Archive Access
To access our digital archive, please click here >>
Archive Information
| Typical Types of Historic Records |
| Dennis Town Reports |
| Letters |
| Diaries |
| Photographs |
| Journals |
| Ship Log Books |
| Transcriptions |
The DHS Archive is continuously being expanded with new material, and from time to time will have new capabilities introduced.
The DHS Digital Archive will preserve the history of Dennis and to enable searchable on-line access to that history. Upon completion, this will be by far the most comprehensive searchable archive of historic information on Cape Cod. It can be searched for a name, ship name or any other historical fact. The system that is being used provides the greatest flexibility for the casual user and researcher alike.
There are approximately 43,000 digital records in the growing DHS archive, the main categories of which are shown in the table to the left. Most of this voluminous collection is the work of Burton Derick, who continues to scan, digitize and transcribe valuable historic records.
These data come from such diverse sources as Town of Dennis historical records, Dennis Historical Society Archives, records (often boxes full) donated or lent by the citizens of Dennis and other towns and items acquired by other gifts or purchase. It is truly a vital yet very extensive body of material. These historical records entwine past Dennis people and events into a historical spider web that extends through numerous documents from many sources, documents that are now but scattered digital and paper files.
This searchable database will allow citizens and researchers to gather up these disparate threads and create cohesive historical presences for our knowledge and enjoyment.
Questions – Please e-mail us at info@dennishistoricalsociety.org
Photo Reproduction Orders
There are many photographs in our collection that people may want a copy for their own use. These include family pictures or pictures of a fondly remembered neighborhood.
While low resolution images may be downloaded from the site by knowledgeable users, we are developing plans to allow users to order high quality prints.
We will update this page when these plans are complete. In the meantime, contact us through info@dennishistoricalsociety.org if you have a specific question.
Donating Items
Items for the Digital Archive
The Dennis Historical Society gladly accepts donations of historical records, log books, journals and photographs. These can be lent to the Society for digitization and return or donated outright. In either case, we need to complete a simple form that gives us permission to use the material or to properly acknowledge your gift.
Physical Items
From time to time families wish to donate family heirlooms to the Society. We are always fully grateful for these offers and recognize their value to Dennis or period history. However, due to our limited space, we evaluate each item for how it best fits to our collections. Should you wish to donate an item to the Society, please contact us at info@dennishistoricalsociety.org and we will promptly contact you.