Doughboy Statue
This monument in Amesbury is a classical American “Doughboy” statue, built in honor of the local men who served during World War I. Following the war, communities across the United States erected these monuments as public expressions of remembrance, grief, patriots, and civic pride.
The term “Doughboy” was the common nickname given to American infantry soldiers during World War I. These statues became one of the most recognizable forms of war memorials in the early 20th century, especially throughout New England towns. The soldier is usually shown standing alert in uniform, representing the ordinary citizen-soldier who left home to fight overseas during what was then called “The Great War”.
In Amesbury, the memorial reflects how deeply the war affected even small American communities. Nearly every town lost young men during World War I, and these monuments became places where families gathered for Memorial Day ceremonies, parades and public remembrance.
These monuments are more than pieces of sculpture. They represent the hopes, fears, sacrifices, and memories of entire communities trying to honor those who never fully came home from one of the defining events of the 20th century.
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John Bartlett Monument
In Amesbury, there is a prominent statue of Josiah Barlett, a figure whose life connects this small New England town to the founding of the nation. Josiah Bartlett was born in 1729 in what was then part of Amesbury. Trained as a physician, he built a reputation for both skill and dedication. As tensions grew […]
Macy-Colby House
Standing quietly along the road in Amesbury is the Macy – Colby House, one of the town’s oldest surviving homes and a reminder of the deep colonial roots woven into this New England landscape. Built in 1654 by Thomas Macy, one of the original founders of Amesbury, the house connects directly to the earliest settlement period of the […]
John Greenleaf Whittier House
John Greenleaf Whittier was the reason I first visited Amesbury many years ago. A poet, writer, and one of the leading abolitionists of the 19th century. Whittier used both his words and public influence to speak out against slavery during one of the most divided periods in American history. The home behind me, The John Greenleaf […]
