Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809). Courtesy Thomas Paine National Historical Association
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Thomas Paine Memorial Museum
Built in 1926 by the Thomas Paine National
Historical Association, this museum is part of a cluster of
historical sites in New Rochelle, New York, at the edge of what was
once Paine's farm of 277 acres, given to him in 1784 by a grateful
New York State Legislature for his eminent services in the cause of
independence and establishment of the United States of America.
The association was founded in 1884 in New York City
to commemorate the life and public service of Thomas Paine, a
seminal thinker, a Founding Father of the United States, and a key
participant in both the American and French revolutions. Paine
wrote
Common Sense,
Rights of Man,
The Age of Reason,
Agrarian Justice, and
Dissertation on
First Principles of Government. These profound works inspired
his contemporaries and continue to inspire and to challenge our
thinking today. The association moved its headquarters to the
museum, upon its completion. The historical sites include the
Thomas Paine Cottage, Paine's grave site, and the Thomas Paine
Monument, the oldest known memorial to the seminal thinker and
writer.
In 1973, the Huguenot and Historical Association and
the Thomas Paine National Historical Association voted to merge,
and take the name Huguenot-Thomas Paine Historical Association. The
association maintains the Thomas Paine Museum, the Paine
collections, and the Hufeland Library at the museum.
The museum is the setting for the Thomas Paine Center
for Citizenship, which endeavors to increase discussion and
critical thought about a broad range of public policy topics. The
association confers the Thomas Paine Journalism Award annually to a
journalist who, like Paine, is committed to democratic principles,
civil liberties and human rights, and freedom of thought and
expression in a setting that recalls the achievements and the
spirit of Thomas Paine.
Documentation comprises a booklet on the Paine
Cottage and Grounds, a brochure and Paine chronology.
Originally submitted by: Nita M. Lowey,Representative (18th District).
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