The GeneralThe Friends of Stark NewsPark Newsletter

starkpark.com | Spring 2019

The 70 Year Quest for a “Fitting Memorial” The History of the Equestrian Statue Inside this Issue: By Matthew Labbe This year, the Friends of Stark Park will begin maintenance on the equestrian statue thanks to a Moose Plate Equestrian Statue……….. 1-3 grant from the NH Division of Historical Resources. As we approach this important project, we thought this Board Member Profiles… 4-5 would be a good time to reflect of the history of the statue and the lifetime of planning it took to build it. Manchester Marathon……. 5 By all reports, General Stark was modest about his military service and eschewed any commemorations or John Stark Day……………. 6 monuments during his lifetime. Immediately following his death, calls for a monument were dismissed as Membership Drive………. 6 counter to his wishes. This philosophy would change decades later as the generation who knew Stark passed Egg Hunt …………………. 7 on and the country saw fundamental cultural changes that made people reconsider their historic heroes. Spring Cleanup…………… 7 When the United States reached its hun- A Day in the Park……….... 7 dredth birthday, there was a nationwide in- Concert Season…………… 8 terest in documenting, commemorating, and preserving historic sites as a means of solidify- ing the American identity. This period, known as the American Renaissance, The Board: stretched from the centennial to the start of President WWI. During this time, people began com- Brian Brady piling genealogies and town histories to estab- Vice President lish a sense of place; centennial exhibitions Matthew Labbe showed off advances in art and technology; Greco-Roman architecture and literature Secretary surged because of its association with democ- Ann Thorner racy; and historical monuments began pop- Treasurer ping up all over the country. This trend Stephanie Lewry would quickly extend to . While the city obtained the deed to the Stark Tom Christensen burying ground in 1876, there was otherwise An early proposal for the equestrian statue by Henry Herrick from the Daily Diana Duckoff no memorial to the General and the acquisi- Mirror and American , March 6, 1888. Erin Kerwin tion was more for maintenance than memori- Jennifer McBride alization. A group of local veterans from the Louis Bell Post, No. 3, GAR met on Memorial Day, 1886 to rectify this problem by planning to establish a park in the general’s honor. These plans were similar to the Douglas Rickard ones ultimately used for the current park, but did not include provisions for any kind of statue or monument. Tom Snow Meanwhile, the State Legislature began to look at ways to commemorate locally famous people. For example, the statue of Daniel Webster at the State House was installed in 1886, and monuments like it made people question why there was no memorial to General Stark. In 1887, both houses of the legislature adopted a reso- Contact us at lution calling for the creation of just such a monument here in Manchester. The governor chose General [email protected]! The Friends of Stark Park is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to develop, revitalize, maintain, and protect the heritage and recreational use of Stark Park as a historic asset to the City of Manchester, NH.

The Equestrian Statue continued

George Stark of Nashua to investigate the matter and make a proposal. George was a descendant of the General’s brother, William Stark. The Manchester newspapers were ecstatic about the resolution because they noted at the time that “it is now sixty-six full years since the military salute was fired over the just-departed remains of Major-General John Stark, and no fitting memorial in all that time has been raised to his memory – no me- morial except that respect and reverence which the Granite State has for its greatest and favorite hero, and the special pride which this city has in cher- ishing the recollection of his brave deeds, and in the thought of his plain, simple, manly, patriotic life.” Despite some movement on the project, no statue materialized. Yet there was still progress in developing the park itself. In May 1889, the city formed a committee to obtain the acreage, but this positive development was not enough to alleviate the increasingly embarrassing situation. In July 1889, a visiting pastor in Concord remarked during his sermon, "I am not well enough informed of your affairs to know whether your State has erected a statue of General Stark, but it ought to if it has not." This observation made a strong impression on the audience, and the NH chapter of the Sons of the formed the following day to see to the matter. This group was more successful than earlier ones, and they had a statue of Gen- eral Stark standing on the State House lawn by 1890.

In May of the same year, the city government of Manchester unanimously Samuel Blodget. From MHA Collections, Volume 1. 1899 approved a petition to purchase the land for the park, which was then rati- fied by the voters. The city purchased 28 acres near the burying ground from the Stark descendants for $8,000. The park was finally dedicated in June 1893. The dedication seemed to negate some of the energy for devel- oping a statue and the matter sat unresolved for several years. In 1900, local mayor and state senator Charles H. Bartlett died, and this Richard Recchia poses with the study model. From the Manchester Historic Association. event would revive the statue debate again. Bartlett was an admirer of Stark, Professor J. Selmer Larson of MIT. The subcommittee to choose the word- so he decided to grant money in his will for a fitting monument. Bartlett ing for the plaque was made up of members of the Art Commission includ- specified that his interest in the Tewksbury Block on Elm Street would be ing Maud Briggs Knowlton, Francoise Trudel-Bourcier, and Fred W. Lamb. sold following the death of his daughter and the proceeds put toward the The committee turned the statue design into a competition, and 84 sculp- statue. This gift would fully fund the monument, but it meant that the city tors expressed interest. Five were chosen to make sketch models. Well had to continue waiting. This was unacceptable to some people, and there known sculptor Richard Recchia of Rockport, Massachusetts won the con- was a movement in the 1930s to fund the monument through the Federal tract and received $12,000 out of a $40,000 budget to create the piece. Art Project, one of the Depression era programs of the WPA. Yet the NH courts forced the city to abandon this plan ruling that they already had fund- Richard Henry Recchia (1885-1983) was born to Italian immigrants and ing and would not be eligible for additional grants. The city continued to probably took his cue toward the arts from his father, Francesco, who was a wait, and the Bartlett money was finally transferred in May 1944. master marble carver. He was talented in illustration and murals, but pre- ferred abstract sculpture. He traveled to Paris for his studies and appren- That same year, Mayor Josephat Benoit ticed with sculptor Bela Pratt. Recchia’s career took off when he returned to started a committee to design and build the US around 1913. Upon being commissioned for this project, he began the statue. The committee was aided by work immediately but progress was slow. The completed study model was Boston architect Frank H. Colony and eventually displayed at the Currier Gallery of Art for public commentary.

About the Author: Matthew Labbe, Vice President of the Friends of Stark Park, holds a M.A. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University and works as a Project Archeologist with Monadnock Archaeological Consulting. His 2 previous research on the history of his hometown has been published by Historical New Hampshire.

The Equestrian Statue concluded

As with any local project, there were several complaints. The Evening Leader received letters claiming that the statue showed an old work horse, ill-suited for a ride to Bennington. Others noted that Stark’s favorite horse had a star shaped mark on its head which was missing from the statue. Still others criti- cized the artist for the angle of the horse’s head, the shape of the saddle, and the lack of traveling gear mounted behind the rider. One writer viciously remarked that, “If it is a horse, it must have the mumps or inflammatory rheumatism.” Rechhia responded that these opinions were ignorant of both history and art and that he would not change a thing. The committee even had trouble deciding which way the statue would face. Some wanted it pointed toward Bennington, but this would mean that the horse’s derriere was pointed directly at River Road. Rechhia himself advo- cated for a south facing position on artistic grounds, but others noted this would still be historically appropriate because the statue would be facing Bunker Hill. Recchia was decidedly against pointing it in any significant direction because he said the art was meant to honor a person, not a place. Regardless of the debate, the statue was eventually oriented south. Some, like composer Alonzo Elliot, did not think the statue should be in the park at all, but rather in a traffic circle at the corner of Elm and Webster Streets where it could be seen more frequently. He thought that statues diminished the natural beauty of parks. Elliot’s opinion was ultimately moot because the original funding conditions required that the statue be situated in the park.

Coincidentally, the funding arrived when there was a renewed interest in The Masons perform a dedication ritual. From the Evening Leader , September 14, 1948. the General and local history. The State chose the ‘Live Free or Die’ motto by contest in 1945, and Mayor Benoit wanted the statue in place by the time for May 31, 1948, following a Memorial Day parade. As this date ap- of the city centennial in 1946. Unfortunately, the sculpture was still incom- proached, the granite strike was still ongoing, so the dedication was pushed plete by that time, delayed by the complexity of its creation. back again to June 20, but this date proved unsuitable too. The statue was first sculpted of clay and then covered in a plaster mold so it The statue was finally dedicated on September 12, 1948, before an audience could be cast. It was sent to the foundry in January 1947. The casting was of approximately 2,000 spectators. The ceremony included speeches by done by Roman Bronze Works, Inc. of , one of the nation’s nine term Mayor Josephat T. Benoit and former U.S. Representative Sher- preeminent establishments in the early 20 th century. The work took seven man A. Adams, who would later become Governor and then Chief of Staff months and five tons of bronze. The statue was cast in eight separate pieces: to President Eisenhower. A parade led from the State Armory on Canal The general; the horse’s head; the front, middle, and back portions of the Street up River Road to the park. The parade featured Sons of the American horse; the legs; and two sections for the base. It was partially assembled and Revolution color guard reenactors and two large cannons, including the shipped from New York in two pieces to be welded together on site. Molly Stark Cannon. Representatives of the Molly Stark Chapter DAR were The installation and dedication had to be pushed back in 1947 when a gran- also on site as reenactors. Organizations from around New England massed ite cutter’s strike in Vermont made it impossible to finish the statue’s pedes- their flags at the grave site, among which was the Nathaniel Fillmore flag, tal in time for an August installation, intended to honor the General’s birth- said to be flown by Stark at Bennington and later passed down through the day and the anniversary of the . Some suggested that family to President Millard Fillmore. The Temple quartet of Concord pro- just a cornerstone could be laid for the ceremony, but the committee was vided music, and the Grand Lodge of Masons concluded the ceremony with set on dedicating the whole monument. The dedication date was scheduled a ritual dedicating the statue. After nearly 70 years of planning, Manchester finally had a fitting monument to its favorite son. The statue has seen repairs over the years beyond its regular maintenance. In 1970, vandals climbed the statue and bent the General’s sword. In 1992, long before the Friends of Stark Park formed, several citizens raised money to have the sword recast by the Hebert foundry of Laconia. Today we con- tinue to preserve and protect the statue through efforts like the Moose Plate grant and through regular landscaping aimed at keeping the park in tip-top condition. As Charles Bartlett noted in his will, “Associated as this park must ever be with the hero and patriot whose name it bears, and whose memory will ever be cherished so long as liberty has a worshipper at her shrine, its beauty and ornamentation cannot fail to deepen and emphasize the lesson of loyalty and patriotism its purpose and object is to inculcate.” The SAR color guard leading the parade. From the Evening Leader, September 13, 1948. 33

The Friends of Stark Park Board Member Profiles Introducing the Current Board of Directors The Friends of Stark Park held our annual meeting on November 13, 2018, at the Millyard Museum of the Manchester Historic Association. That night, the membership voted to elect new board members and change the executive board in accordance with our charter. The organization’s bylaws require a board made up of seven to fifteen members who each serve a term of two years in overlapping intervals. In addition to attending the monthly board meetings, the board members serve on one or more of the various committees: administrative, marketing, landscaping, and events. Members in good standing are also allowed to serve on commit- tees, so if you would like to join us, please get in touch! We would like to introduce you to our current board! Our board members have a diverse mix of skills and experience, but they all share one thing in common: An enduring desire to protect, preserve, and promote one of the city’s most important historic sites!

Brian Brady - - President

Brian Brady grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts and first came to Manchester to attend SNHU. Brian Brady is a high-tech executive, problem solver, and innovator who likes the challenge of working with small companies and tech startups. His wife, Dr. Loretta Brady, is a psychologist who teaches at St. Anselm College. They have five children and live near the park. This is his second year on the board.

Matthew Labbe - - Vice President Matt is a professional archaeologist, so he takes particular interest in the history of the General, the park, and the surrounding area. He originally joined the Friends of Stark Park several years ago as a volunteer for the summer concert series, and has since become involved in several other park activi- ties. He can often be seen collecting donation from the audience during intermission at the summer concerts. He also serves as editor of our newsletter.

Ann Thorner - - Secretary

Ann Thorner resides across the street from the park, and she has been involved with this organization since its early beginnings. She is married with one daughter and works as an occupational therapist for the Manchester School District. She is interested in community service, history and, as a result of her national intercollegiate band experience, the concert series.

Stephanie Lewry - - Treasurer Stephanie Lewry became active with the Friends of Stark Park when she retired from her work in downtown development. Like many who moved to NH from other states, she had never heard of NH’s Revolutionary War hero, General John Stark. Upon reading his biography and learning about his heroic achievements, she became interested in celebrating his legacy and in the restoration of his gravesite, so that more people in New Hampshire might know about and derive pride in their hero.

4 Contact [email protected] to become a committee Member!

Tom Christensen Diana Duckoff Erin Kerwin

Tom Christensen has been on the Board Diana is a found- Erin, a new board of Directors for over four years. He got ing member of member this year, his start with the organization by raking the Friends of has been a resi- leaves for a cleanup project, and later Stark Park and is dent of Manches- joined the landscaping committee. He involved in al- ter for the last 15 is a retired combat pilot who works at most all of its years. She feels Hanscom AFB as an Acquisition Logis- activities. She is that one of the tics Educator. He brings extensive pro- married and is retired after many years best aspects of gram management experience and an working at Home Insurance and United Manchester is its beautiful parks. She inexhaustible amount of passion for Health Care. Her interests include histo- enjoys walking to Stark Park with her any of the FSP projects that he takes on. ry, genealogy, and quilting. She is a mem- family during the summer months to ber of DAR and the Mayflower Society. listen to the concert series.

Jennifer McBride Douglas Rickard Tom Snow Jen McBride is a new board member Douglas is a new board member this year. Tom works in this year. She has immensely enjoyed He earned a BA in Communications from tech, so by living around the corner from Stark SNHU and was ordained as a Minister of the time he the Gospel in 1981. As pastor of First Park for the past eleven years and has Presbyterian Church he often assists fami- gets out of spent much time there with her hus- lies with weddings work at the band, daughter and two dogs. Having and funerals. Using end o the day always been impressed by the improve- guitar & banjo, he he's usually ments made by Friends of Stark Park, provides music itching for some outdoor-time -- that's therapy services to she was happy to join the board when what originally drew him to the park as a healthcare facilities the opportunity arose. She’s looking in the Southern NH volunteer. Tom has been serving on the forward to contributing to the good area. He is in de- board of the Friends of Stark Park since work that they perform. mand as a vocalist 2014. He helps maintain the group’s web- and bagpiper. site and social media pages.

Thank You To Our Departing Board Members! Manchester Marathon We had several board members On November 4, 2018, the Friends of Stark Park leave us this year. Board Presi- manned a water station for the Manchester Marathon. dent Kerry Schleyer stepped Board members and volunteers set up tables to dis- down at the end of her term tribute water, Gatorade, and good luck to the hun- and left some big shoes to fill! dreds of runners that passed the park near the start of A landscape expert, Kerry’s their 26.2 mile run. Although the weather was cool, it knowledge has been instrumen- was sunny and the runners were in good spirits! tal in improving the park envi- ronment. Robert Lord, Laura Patton, and Kris Pelletier (who masterfully scheduled weddings at the bandstand) also stepped down. We wish to extend a hearty thank you to each of you Kerry and her daughter Emma at the 2018 Garden Tour. for your time, your service, 5 and your friendship! Brian Brady, his daughter, and Ann Thorner hand out water at the marathon. 5

General John Stark Day

Monday, April 8, 2019, at 10AM Every April, the state of New Hampshire honors General John Stark whose immortal words “live free or die” became the state motto in 1945. The life of the Hero of Bennington is commemorated by a ceremony involving a wreath laying and color guard salute at the Stark grave site in Stark Park. The event is not limited to the park but is observed in cities and towns around the state, particularly at sites related to the life of General Stark. Past events have included tea with Molly Stark at her house, a gun salute at the Caleb Stark monument in Dunbarton, and a ceremony at Fort No. 4 in Charlestown. John Stark Day, 2015

General Stark was born in Londonderry to Scots-Irish immigrants in It was during this battle that he offered his other famous quote, “We 1728. The family moved to Amoskeag when he was a boy. He was beat them before night or Molly Stark sleeps a widow.” He also kidnapped by the Abenaki in 1752, and later fought in the French served as a judge at the court martial of Maj. John Andre, a cocon- and Indian war as a member of Roger’s Rangers. He retired from spirator of Benedict Arnold. After the war, he returned to his farm service but was called up by the militia following the Battle of Bun- in Manchester where he remained until his death in 1822. He is bur- ker Hill. He commanded the First NH Regiment as Colonel and was ied in Stark Park along with his wife and several other members of later offered a position in the by George Wash- his family. The gravesite was donated to the city by his descendants ington. In the latter position, he served in Princeton and Trenton and the surrounding park land was purchased and dedicated in 1893. but then resigned his commission again. He was made brigadier general of the militia by the State of NH. He traveled to Bennington General John Stark day will be celebrated Monday, April 8 at 10am. where he famously stopped a British attack on American supplies. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Please join us! Your Membership is Important! By Stephanie Lewry Each spring, we hold our annual membership drive. Through your It is sad to see, but many of the great old trees are dying. We continuing membership and financial support, coupled with founda- called in expert foresters to assess the health of the trees in Stark tion grants, we have accomplished so much in the past decade to Park, and as a result of their recommendations, ten trees were restore General Stark’s gravesite and beautify one of New Hamp- deemed a danger to the public and were removed by the city; shire’s most important historic landmarks, Stark Park. many others were pruned and trimmed in a volunteer day hosted by a gathering of New Hampshire Arborists. We have already Our most recent example of how we use membership contributions replaced five sugar maples that were cut down, and this year, we can be seen in the ten new steel benches installed on granite pads in plan to continue our tree replacement program. Stark Park last spring. Contributions from FSP members, over sev- eral years through 2018, enabled us to qualify for the necessary None of these things can happen without your financial assistance. matching funds needed to receive a $10,000 grant from the Norwin As you know, The Friends of Stark Park is an all-volunteer organi- and Elizabeth Bean Foundation to replace the old and broken wood- zation, and our overhead is very low; there is no staff or rent to en benches, sinking in muddy pits, and to install them on clean and pay. Your contribution goes directly to support the park, itself! neat granite foundations. As volunteers, we love to have fun AND work on worthwhile pro- Programming for the park is also important, as it keeps people using jects – You are invited to join us. Please contact us at info@ this beautiful facility and reminds us to stay invested in its heritage. starkpark.com for further details and/or to share your willingness During the summer months, you and the public enjoy free Sunday to serve for an event or on a committee. Please use the enclosed envelope to send us your check, and thanks in advance for your afternoon concerts at the bandstand, and attendance keeps growing! annual donation to the Friends of Stark Park. We have already started planning another great line-up for this year. 6

13th Annual Easter Egg Hunt Spring Cleanup

Saturday, April 20, 2019 - 11 AM Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 9am All this snow and cold air will soon be behind us, but our wild winter weather tends to wreak havoc on the park. Be- tween fallen leaves and branches, and preparation for spring flowers, a lot of work goes into getting the park in shape for summer activities like the summer concert series. As a re- sult, we organize a park cleanup day every spring. This year, the cleanup is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, at 9am. As in years past, our work will supplemented by volunteers from our generous sponsors and local schools. We hope that you will stop by and join us!

Feedback Needed: A Day in the Park

by Tom Christensen

We need your help to plan a June event called A Day in the Grab your baskets and hop on over to Stark Park for our 13th Park! The purpose of this event is to draw new folks to the annual egg hunt EGG-Stravaganza on Saturday, April 20th, 2019! park; those who may not have gone to our egg hunt, sum- The hunt is open to all children 8 years old and younger, accom- mer concerts, or holiday caroling. In addition to a targeted panied by an adult. There will be separate areas for ages 4 and Saturday noontime program especially designed for FSP under, ages 5-6, and ages 7-8. Bags will be available for those without a basket. members, event planners are considering hosting a series of morning tours featuring the landscape and history of the No parking is permitted in Stark Park for this event. Please park park. We need your ideas for the types of activities you on Elm Street near Webster School. A police officer will assist would like to see at an event like this. with crossing River Road. In addition, we are exploring the idea of hosting a free com- Arrive at 10 AM to enjoy face painting, photos with the Easter munity yard sale open to the public! Everyone who regis- Bunny, visit the Mounted Patrol, and climb into a Fire Truck! ters in advance (no charge), would be assigned a 10 ft. by The Egg Hunt starts at 11 AM SHARP!! Some eggs have prizes instead of candy, and even the Easter Bunny has been known to 10 ft. space along one of our park roads. This would allow hop by from time to time. Don’t miss out on this beloved event! easy access to one’s own table to place garage sale items. This is NOT a FSP fund raiser as each “Yard Sail- or” (hopefully you!) would keep his/her proceeds. It will be an effective method to draw both FSP members and folks who may not have been to the park before out for a nice Saturday morning in June. Once there (in addition to getting some great bargains) they can see both how beauti- ful the park is and learn a little of the history of John Stark and all we do to for the community! Our member program will also have sponsored FREE lunch! Contact Tom Christensen to share your ideas to make our first Day in the Park a success AND to volunteer and get involved as there will be many SMALL jobs to be handled. [email protected] and/or 603 391 4453. 7

Friends of Stark Park Non-profit org. PO Box 1485 U.S. Postage Manchester, NH 03105-1485 PAID starkpark.com Manchester, NH Permit No. 424

Concert Season Live Free AND JOIN! Do you love Stark Park? The Friends of Stark Park invite you to join us! Stay informed on activities, events, and opportuni- ties to help revitalize, maintain and protect the heritage and recreational use of Stark Park! Become a member or renew your membership via starkpark.com/ membership! Donations are welcomed and accepted year round and allow the FSP to continue furthering our mission Studio Two drew a large crowd on June 24, 2018 to preserve and protect the heritage of Stark Park. Thank you for your All this snow and wind will soon be replaced by sunshine and generosity and support! flowers — That means concert season will be upon us before you know it! Membership Dues: • Student: $10.00 The concert committee has been braving the • Seniors: $20.00 snowstorms since January to meet and plan an- • Individual: $25.00 other great line-up of bands for this summer. • These beloved events would not be possible without Family: $35.00 • the support of our sponsors, and YOU, our faithful Friend: $100.00 • members. Corporate: $250.00

Details on the performances will be available in our next issue, due out in early June. Keep an eye out, and keep your dancing shoes ready!