George H. Perkins Statue
On the backside of the New Hampshire State House stands this monument to George H. Perkins.
Born in Hopkinton, Perkins rose to become one of the most respected naval officers of the Civil War. He served under Admiral Farragut and played a critical role in the Battle of Mobile Bay, one of the defining naval battles of the war.
It was Farragut himself, one of the most celebrated naval commanders in American history, and the first Admiral of the U.S. Navy, who said that Perkins was “the bravest man that every trod the deck of a ship”. Coming from a man whose leadership defined naval warfare during the Civil War, this was not casual praise.
The monument was commissioned by the State of New Hampshire in the early 20th century and dedicated in 1912, during a period when many Civil War leaders were being formally honored across the country.
This statue is set into the granite at the back of the State House, standing along in a prominent and intentional place. It commands a presence of its own, a quiet presence of its own.
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