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Monuments and memorials can be found in all forms, shapes and sizes; they serve to commemorate important ideas, events or people. In Haverhill our war monuments occupy spaces that allow them to be viewed on a daily basis; their locations along busy thoroughfares offer evidence of their importance to the people who worked to have them erected. As grand and impressive as they may be, we often ignore them while rushing about with our daily routine and duties, that is why it is so important that you made time to view them today, so that word might spread about their significance and history and that we share this information with coming generations.

Brief Site History Gale Park is originally the site of the Ayer House, a structure built in 1712 by Capt. Samuel Ayer. In 1872 it was sold to the Haverhill Children's Aid Society and became an orphanage called the Children’s Home. In 1884 the Children’s Home was moved to the Gale Building, and the Ayer House was torn down in 1891. After the demolition, this area became Gale Park and a fountain was installed in 1892 as its centerpiece. This fountain was later moved to the shores of Kenoza Lake where it remains to this day. Another, smaller fountain was later installed World War I Memorial This beautiful granite monument honors those who served their country in World War I; however it's journey to existence was a long one. The city of Haverhill and its World War I veterans made several attempts to build a memorial to honor those who served their nation during the “war to end all wars” but always seemed to run into stumbling blocks. Initially the city wanted to honor the veterans by giving scholarships to Haverhill and St. James High School’s graduating seniors. The Haverhill Gazette wanted to build a pool and dedicate it to their services. Both ideas were rejected by the veterans. A compromise was reached when the veterans and city decided to refurbish Tilton Tower and make it the city’s World War I monument. Over $100,000 was allocated for the project and plans were drawn up for the memorial. However, before work could begin the Stock Market Crash of 1929 struck and put the project in limbo. In 1956, after over a quarter of century of debate, the Haverhill War Memorial Commission finally decided to erect a monument. After considering four sites, the monument's location was narrowed down to either GAR or Gale Park, with this site winning out. Eight potential designs were submitted to the War Memorial Commission. The Atwood memorial plan, whose preliminary drawings proposed a semi-circular design with six pillars, three on each side of a broader center section, caught the eyes of the commission and the veterans committee and was selected. The memorial was paid for by refunds to the city of unused bonus money that the state legislature had voted for the veterans. The memorial stands at a height of 13 feet, is 23 feet wide, and consists of 1,450 square feet of cement walks with two benches inside a partial enclosure formed by hedges. A flagpole rises from a pedestal in the center of the enclosure. Two color cement has been used to form a star on the floor of the enclosure. The flagpole’s base lists the men from Haverhill who served in the conflict including the 104 names of those who died during the war. The center of the memorial features the following inscription:<blockquote>Victory – In the days of triumph and peace it is wise to remember the cost of victory. Let us resolve that the sacrifices made by these men shall not be in vain. Let us, the living, pledge ourselves to preserve and protect for their children and ours the freedom and liberties for which they gave their lives.</blockquote> The Hiker, or Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and Boxer Rebellion Monument This monument was erected and dedicated on October 24, 1926 by the city of Haverhill. It collectively honors the the men who served in the Spanish-American War (1898), those who served in the China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion, 1898-1901) and those who fought in the Philippine Insurrection (Philippine-American War, 1899-1902). Three Medal of Honor winners (2 from the Spanish-American War and 1 from the Philippine-American War) were in attendance at the monument’s dedication. The monument features a soldier in period dress set upon a granite block/obelisk. The four sides of the base each have a plaque with additional information, including the names of those who gave their lives in service to their country. Action in the Philippines produced the most battle casualties among those listed; however, disease was actually the biggest killer overall. Originally, this monument was located between Winter, How, and Emerson Streets across from where Bradford Seafood is now located. It was moved to this location despite the objections of the Spanish-American War veterans because a “hot dog emporium was spoiling the public’s view” of the monument. The veterans felt Gale Park was not a central enough location for the monument. This monument is the work of artist Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson who worked for Gorham Company Founders. The Hiker also exists as at least 51 other monuments including the original, which was erected at the University of Minnesota. Haverhill’s Hiker was the 15th produced; there are a dozen more replicas in Massachusetts with another in Manchester, New Hampshire. Others can be found as far away as Los Angeles,California, West Palm Beach, Florida, Birmingham, Alabama and Wichita Falls, Texas. Because of the great number of Hiker monuments and their diverse locations, The Hiker castings have become part of an important study regarding the effects of the elements, including acid rain, on our nation’s monuments. Women Veterans Memorial The last memorial at Gale Park was erected to honor our nation’s women veterans. The Black marble monument was unveiled September 20, 1999 during a dedication ceremony. It features seven engravings: five representing the branches of the Armed Forces, an eternal flame of remembrance, and the portrait of a woman in a World War II military uniform. It was erected in less than a years’ time from the moment the idea was first proposed; in sharp contrast to most of the city’s memorials which often took years of debate and argument before finally being built. It is also unique in that it is not restricted to honoring veterans of a specific conflict or time frame and honors those currently serving as well.

Occupying three-quarters of an acre, Gale Park is the site of several city memorials and monuments, including a World War I memorial, a Spanish-American War / Boxer Rebellion / Philippine-American War monument (called "The Hiker"), and a Women Veterans memorial. It is also the site of the city's only public fountain.

Gale Park

The city dedicated this monument July 4, 1869, less than four years after the end of the Civil War. Located in the center of town, at a busy intersection, and facing the existing City Hall at the time, the placement of the monument and the swiftness of its erection indicate the war’s importance to the city’s population, a proclamation to the sacrifices made to preserve the nation. The monument is made of pure white Sicilian marble and stands 26 feet tall. It is topped with a statue of a volunteer soldier, 8 feet 4 inches in height, with musket at parade rest. The monument actually consists of 12 marble pieces: the 4 canons, the soldier, 3 lower pieces and a 4 piece base, that interlock with each other. The monuments base is engraved on its sides with the names of the 183 veterans who lost their lives during the war, as well as an inscription that reads:<blockquote>In grateful tribute to the memory of those who on land and sea died that the Republic might live, this monument was erected by the city of Haverhill.</blockquote>The soldier on top was meant to represent a specific Haverhill resident, Major Henry Jackson, who died in battle in 1862. In fact, it was Jackson's death that had started the conversation and movement for a monument to be created even while the war was still raging on. The monument’s artist, Calvin H. Weeks, was a former mayor of Haverhill whose business was on Main Street across from the common (GAR Park). One of Weeks's stone-carvers, Patrick McLaughlin, also a Haverhill resident, was given the task of carving the statue. He used his 26 year-old son, Frank McLaughlin, as a model for the carving. Frank McLaughlin was himself a Civil War Veteran having served in the 50th Massachusetts Infantry and the 17th Massachusetts Infantry Due to traffic problems in 1999, the monument was moved 40 feet east from its original placement, and no longer faces City Hall (which has also changed in location over the years). A wrought iron fence that originally surrounded the monument now encircles the Korean War Monument in GAR Park.

Located in Monument Square at the busy intersection of Main Street (Route 125) and Kenoza Avenue (Route 110), Haverhill's Civil War Monument is perhaps its grandest local monument. It was erected less than four years after the end of the war, though planning for it had actually begun during the war. The soldier at top is meant to represent Major Henry Jackson.

Civil War Monument

Brief Site History In 1654, GAR Park was called the Great Ox Common and for many years it was used for grazing animals and as parade grounds for the local militia. Town records later referred to it as City Hall Park before its dedication as GAR Park in 1925. Even before the park's dedication as GAR Park, it had served as location for city monuments. Hannah Dustin MonumentHannah Dustin is believed to be the first woman in America to be honored with a statue. The first statue of her, erected in Haverhill in 1861, was never fully paid off and was actually stripped and resold to Barre, MA as a Civil War memorial. This second one, located here at GAR Park, was installed in 1879, this time underwritten by philanthropist E.J.M. Hale. At the statue's dedication, Hale stated that the monument's purpose was to remember Dustin’s “valor” and to “animate our hearts with noble ideas and patriotic feelings.” Though the Hannah Dustin Monument is not technically a war monument, it is interesting to consider it in relation to the series of Indian Wars leading up to the French and Indian War. Revolutionary War Monument Erected by the Judith Badger Cogswell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1915, this monument commemorates our nation’s first war. The 20 ton boulder (monument) was hewn from the hills of New Hampshire, being quarried and cut by Elmer S. Atwood at his quarry in Milford, New Hampshire. It was shipped to Haverhill by the Boston &amp; Maine railroad and hauled by horse driven (eight horse team) dray to its present location. The boulder itself is nine feet high, five feet across, three feet thick and stands upon a base of solid cement six feet deep. A copper box 11 feet by seven feet with a depth of six feet was placed under the monument; it contains portraits of Abraham Lincoln, President Woodrow Wilson, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, U.S. Grant and other noteworthy Americans. The box also houses a 1915 Farmer’s Almanac along with other mementos related to war veterans. The sitting president, Woodrow Wilson was invited to attend the dedication but sent his regrets. Spanish-American War Cannon This cannon was originally used for coastal defense of Narragansett Bay and was given to the city at its request. It honors the veterans of the Spanish-American War, and in 1973 is was nearly lost for good. A contractor was working at City Hall. He parked his truck pointing south on Main Street and though he claimed to have checked the tires, the driverless truck headed down Main Street (Route 125). The truck jumped the curb at GAR Park and slammed into the cannon. The cannon’s wheels and trunnions (the “handles” on the side of the cannon) were severely damaged. Someone at City Hall authorized the damaged cannon’s sale for scrap at Tombarello and Sons Junkyard in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Several citizens objected, including Gary Herbert an Atkinson resident who had grown up in Haverhill. Herbert made a deal with the Haverhill Mayor George Katsaros to repair the cannon and the cannon was trucked to Herbert’s rented home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. When it was discovered it would cost $600 to repair each wheel along with an additional cost for repairing the trunnions, the city’s insurance company refused to pay for the repairs, and the project stalled. Only Herbert and Katsaros knew where the cannon was being kept and in the ensuing years, Herbert bought a new home and moved, and Mayor Katsaros died. All the while, the cannon sat behind the barn slowly being covered by weeds and debris. In the fall of 1985, a hunter stumbled upon the cannon, recalled reading a newspaper story about the cannon’s disappearance, and made the connection. Because of his discovery the cannon was refurbished and rededicated in its present location. Monument to the Major How Post of the GAR This is the memorial that was unveiled at GAR Park’s dedication in 1925. It consists of circular benches surrounding a plaque honoring the Civil War veterans, as well as a pair of drinking fountains two and a half feet from each end of the benches. The monument with its seats was actually moved to the entrance to Winnekenni Park for more than 15 years while relocation work on Route 97 was underway and then were returned to their rightful place in 1973. In 1974 the Band Shell behind the benches was dedicated and added to GAR Park. Korean War Monument In 1996 the Haverhill Korean War Veterans Chapter 288 began a mission to raise more than $105,000 to pay for the monument that stands at the top of GAR Park. Besides raising the funds they were very much involved in the design of the monument. The Korean veterans also gave presentations at local schools to educate students about the “forgotten war.” During a six year campaign they raised money from donations from the local population and business community. The sale of engraved bricks and granite blocks which were incorporated into the monuments construction and a dinner-dance helped raise the remaining $30,000 forits completion. The Demarais Post VFW secured the design from Haverhill architects Garry Sharpe and Daniel Nadeau, and it was built by the same family business (Atwood’s Memorial) that built and designed the World War I Monument. The engraved bricks and granite blocks bought during fundraising were laid by Tri-Ad Associates. The monument was dedicated November 3, 2002, 50 years after the outbreak of the war. It stands 15 feet tall, including a nine foot statue of a soldier holding an M-1 rifle, surrounded by eight flag poles: five symbolic of each branch of the military and the otherthree flags for state, country, and the United Nations. The monument honors the memory of 16 Haverhill residents who died in the conflict, along with the names of another 842 men and women from Haverhill who served in Korea. Before the monument was built, a simple plaque in City Hall honored the 16 who had sacrificed their lives. The effort to build this monument was inspired by veterans who had seen more and more of their comrades die before the cityhonored their deeds. One committee member (Fiorino F. Brienza) joined the war effort and was shipped to Korea five days after the birth of his first child. He served 11 months on the battlefield during which time he became a squad leader and earned three Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and Company Infantry Badge with three stars. On the monuments dedication he said, “The monument will be a firm reminder that democracy is not lost and that those who fought did not die in vain.” Global Peace Monument The latest monument completed in Haverhill is located across the street from GAR Park in front of the library.

GAR Park has existed in Haverhill for most of the city’s history and has been known by several different names over the centuries, including Great Ox Common and City Hall Park. The name today refers to the Grand Army of the Republic which was an organization of Civil War veterans, an apt association given the several war memorials and monuments located there. Markers in the park include the Revolutionary War Monument, a cannon honoring Spanish-American War veterans, a monument to the Major How Post of the GAR, and the Korean War Monument. GAR Park is also the site of Haverhill's Hannah Dustin statue.

GAR Park

The memorial was primarily the dream of Nicolas Hideriotis, a D-Day survivor, who was moved by the continuing attrition of his fellow Second World War veterans, dying un-honored and un-memorialized for their bravery. Chapter 20 of the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) donated $16,000 for its construction. The foundation of the memorial was donated by James A. Mahoney &amp; Sons. The fence encircling it was donated by Haverhill Ornamental Iron Works. It was also sponsored by the Haverhill 350th Anniversary Committee, The Haverhill Community Events Commission and the Demoulas Foundation. The memorial was constructed with Barre, Vermont granite. The memorial has two time capsules buried under granite blocks. The capsules are scheduled to be opened in 2090, a hundred years after the memorial's dedication. They contain a book entitled “Haverhill in World War II”, historical articles written by a columnist from the Haverhill Gazette, and a variety of war memorabilia. A ceremony dedicating the memorial was held inside the City Hall auditorium, with a 21-gun salute taking place outside across from the Elks Club. George S. Patton’s son was among the dignitaries present along with Haverhill native and Deputy Secretary of Defense Donald J. Atwood. In 1995 another ceremony was held to commemorate the 50th year anniversary of the war’s end. On May 8, 1998 a closing ceremony took place at which time the copper eagle was placed on top of the obelisk. Two flagpoles, a concrete walkway with a medallion containing a large bronze star were also added at this time. Medals were “minted” to commemorate the closing ceremonies, with one being sent to President George Bush who now displays it among the archives in his presidential library. Each side of the memorial is engraved; on one side is the dedication: The Monument is in honor of the men and women of Haverhill who served from 1941-1945. A second side reveals a quote from George Washington. The third side has a quote from poet John Greenleaf Whittier, with the final side (facing the street) featuring an eagle and the symbols for the four armed service branches that served during the war (the Air Force was not a branch till after this conflict).

Haverhill's World War II Memorial was erected in 1990 due to a widespread community effort to honor the the men and women who had served in that conflict. It also contains two time capsules that are to be opened in 2090. The dedication was attended by George S. Patton's son and Deputy Secretary of Defense Donald J. Atwood.

World War II Memorial

Originally, Haverhill was ahead of the curve when honoring Vietnam veterans. The Basiliere Bridge was named for Haverhill’s first Vietnam War casualty, Ralph Basiliere, who died during the early years of the engagement. Later, at the north end of the bridge, a flagpole and a plaque which read, "The city of Haverhill is grateful to those who paid the supreme sacrifice in the Vietnam Conflict," and listed the 13 lost from Haverhill during the war were added. Unfortunately, the memorial fell into poor condition over the years and was vandalized. In 2018, Louis Fossarelli, a Vietnam War veteran himself, asked the city if it might move the memorial to "a better location that would better suit the Memorial and the aging Vietnam Veteran population" and a Vietnam Veteran Memorial Commission was formed. The commission is made up of city councilors, veterans, and community representatives and is chaired by Ralph Basiliere, grandson of the bridge's namesake and a veteran as well. The decision was made to the move the memorial to Mill Brook Park and an entirely new memorial was proposed. The original memorial was respectfully buried at Mill Brook Park, beneath the site of the new memorial, due to the vandalism. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the new memorial entered its final stage of construction in April 2020 with an expected completion date of Fall 2020. The project is expected to cost about $175,000 and has been funded through a combination of state grants, private donations, in-kind donations, and fundraisers, and it is being installed by Atwood Memorial, a company who has been responsible for a number of local monuments. The memorial will include a 13-foot tall obelisk (in honor of the 13 from Haverhill who died) weighing around seven tons which will honor all of those who served in the Vietnam War. There will also be a new plaque to replace the one buried from the old monument. Finally, this new memorial will include an educational element, with four additional brass plaques about topics such as Agent Orange alongside a supplementary app. The obelisk and the plaques markers will all be made of granite quarried from Barre, VT, the same quarry that provided the granite for the original memorial.

Haverhill's Vietnam Veterans Memorial is currently under construction at Mill Brook Park. Like several other local monuments it has been moved from a previous location, however, this monument is also undergoing a full re-creation, the original memorial having been buried with honor at the new site. This memorial will also try something new for a Haverhill war monument, by adding an educational element to teach future generations about the war and the losses that were suffered in Haverhill.

Original Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Basiliere Bridge

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Haverhill War Monuments and Memorials

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