The Hannah Duston Memorial is a 35-foot statue in Boscawen, New Hampshire, that commemorates the legacy of Hannah Duston. Built on the very spot where her legend was born, the monument has come to represent a complicated legacy related to several eras of American history, highlighting the power that monuments can represent to various people and for multiple eras.
A Symbol of Frontier Heroism
A victim of a raid by Native Americans in 1697, Hannah Duston has been recognized by some as a symbol of frontier heroism. She was taken captive by Native Americans with her newborn daughter during King William’s War. After her daughter was killed, she and a companion slayed their captors while they were camped at the site in Boscawen. Hannah collected the scalps as proof of what she had done and then returned home, where she was given a reward for the killings.
During the 19th century she was referred to as a folk hero which would allow her to be the first American woman honored with a statue. Erected in 1874 on the spot where her massacre occurred, the Hannah Duston Memorial is located on a small island at the confluence of the Contoocook and Merrimack rivers. It was the first publicly funded statue in New Hampshire.
The statue depicts Duston holding a hatchet in one hand and a fistful of scalps in the other. Messaging on the statue itself is disparaging to the Native Americans that took her captive, which is reflective of the era when it was constructed, as it was designed to send a message to the indigenous community. This complicated legacy has made the piece a target for vandals, as the pedestal has been sprayed with graffiti while the piece itself is often splattered with red paint. The nose of the statue has also been broken.
Situated in an underdeveloped area in the New Hampshire wilderness, the Hannah Duston Memorial has compelled activity in an area that would otherwise be empty and forgotten. The context of this activity has caused many to further explore the legacy the piece represents to the community in the present and future.
Representing Pieces of History
Being the earliest publicly funded monument to a woman in the United States has provided the Hannah Duston Memorial itself with a history that is separate from Dustin and the event the monument was created to celebrate. This history and context have caused some to argue for the statue to be removed while others support keeping it in place. These discussions showcase what it can mean for monuments to not only represent pieces of history but what it can mean when they become history themselves.
