Franklin Pierce Statue
Concord is the capital of the state, so I grew up with the beautiful granite New Hampshire State House as the center of downtown.
On the grounds of the State House are a number of sculptures that quietly communicate what and who are valued. These monuments are not just decorative they reflect the history and identity of the state.
Another one of these statues is of Franklin Pierce.
Pierce, born in New Hampshire, rose to become the 14th President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. His presidency came at a deeply divided time in the country’s history, and while his legacy remains complex, his connection to New Hampshire is clear. He represents a moment when a man from this small state reached the highest office in the nation.
The statue of Pierce was added to the State House grounds in 1914, commissioned by the State of New Hampshire as part of a broader effort to recognize notable figures in the state’s history.
What makes his presence in Concord more personal is that the Franklin Pierce Homestead, his only home, is located in Concord, and it is in this town that he is also buried.
As a child, I did not seek to understand these statues, they were simply part of the landscape I grew up with. But over time, I began to understand what they represented, and how each community chooses to showcase what it is most proud of.
Sometimes it takes decades before we truly see them. Too often, we walk by these works of art, caught up in our daily lives, without stopping.
And yet, they remain, standing quietly, frozen in time, waiting for us to notice.
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