Historic Deerfield, Inc., which maintains more than 50 buildings in Old Deerfield, focuses on the significance of small-town America to the national culture. Founded in 1952, the museum includes 12 historic houses, most on their original homesites, dating from 1730-1850. They houses and the exhibition building, the Flynt Center of Early New England Life, are regularly open to the public. Historic Deerfield stewards a nationally significant collection of approximately 28,000 household artifacts, both rare and common—including furniture, metalwares, textiles, needlework, ceramics, and more. Many of the artifacts have documented histories of local ownership or manufacture. These authentic objects document the stories and founding years of our nation; through them, visitors learn the stories of generations of real people whose beliefs, belongings, lifestyles, conflicts, economy, and technology unlock the door to the past and help us to better understand today.