World War I Memorials in Concord New Hampshire

Photograph of Commemorative boulder in front of Guyette Pool aka Rolfe Park Pool. Copyright Debbie LaValley, used here with her permission.

Concord, New Hampshire has seven (previously I stated six) memorials to the heroes of WWI and yet many city residents are unaware of them. (There are eight if you count the memorial in Doric Hall of the NH State House). This story, hopefully, will provide knowledge of these tributes, and where they are located so that both locals and descendants can find them.

The list of Concord New Hampshire’s World War I monuments/memorials are:
1. Memorial Field, 70 Fruit Street, Concord NH. Engraved WWI memorial and flag pole.
2. Fletcher-Murphy Park (now called Fletcher-Murphy Play Lot) at 28 Fayette Street in Concord NH.
3. American Legion Post #31 World War I Memorial, 11 Charles Street, Penacook NH.
4. Joseph Guyette Swimming Pool Memorial at Rolfe Park, end of Dolphin Street, Concord NH.
5. Sydney Beauclerk Jr. Monument at Concord Municipal Airport, at the main entrance to the airport, just south of the intersection of Old Turnpike Road/Regional Drive and Airport Road.
6. Brigadier General Charles Doyen monument (used to be a monument and park).
7. WWI Monument to Company M New Hampshire State Guard – White Park

The Concord City web site has general photographs of the three parks, but sadly does not show the monuments, mention any of these memorials, nor cite their location. I welcome comments and additions if you know of more commemorative plaques or memorials that are not mentioned here.

WWI Memorial plaque at Memorial Park, 70 South Fruit Street, Concord, NH. Copyright Elizabeth Mace, September 2016; used with her permission.

★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★
–MEMORIAL FIELD–
Concord, New Hampshire
★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★

One WWI memorial is located at ‘Memorial Field,’ on 70 South Fruit Street. To view the small monument you must park and walk into the fenced in ball field area. You should see a plaque affixed to a boulder next to 3 tall flag poles. This monument was dedicated in 1936 to both those “who served in the World War” and those “who died in the World War.” Only those who died are listed. The City of Concord oversees maintenance of this site. [See below for inscription].

****INSCRIPTIONS on WWI MONUMENTS in CONCORD NH*****

—CONCORD (NH) MEMORIAL FIELD—
70 South Fruit Street, Concord, NH.
See more description above.
—————-
CONCORD MEMORIAL FIELD
DEDICATED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO SERVED IN THE WORLD WAR
1936
IN HONOR OF THOSE
WHO DIED IN THE WORLD WAR
THOMAS H. ABBOTT
DANTE J. BARATELLI
SIDNEY W. BEAUCLERK [BEAUCLARK] JR.
ROBERT C. BECKETT
FRANK BEGGS
HERBERT H. BELL
WILLLIAM M. BOURDEAU
CHARLES BROOKS
DAVID BUCHAN
RICHARD K. CLARKE
HENRY A. COIT
RICHARD S. CONOVER 2nd
PAUL E. CORRIVEAU
WILFRED A.J. CORRIVEAU
JOHN E. DAVIS
CHARLES DOYEN
HERBERT C. DREW
WALTER T. DREW
IRVINE J. FARLEY
LUCY N. FLETCHER
JOSEPH N. GUYETTE
CLARENCE A. HANLON
ROY S. HOLLAND
ALLEN HOLLIS JR.
HENRY F. HOLLIS JR.
HARRY LAMBRUKOS

Memorial to WWI heroes, Memorial Park, Concord, New Hampshire. Copyright Elizabeth Mace. Used here with her permission.

ERNEST A. LAPLANTE
VICTOR W. LEMAY
JOHN P MANNION
JOHN T. MARTIN
GEORGE E. MATSON
ERNEST MATTHEWS
CHARLES J. McDONALD
HAROLD W. McNEIL
CHARLES H. MOBERG JR. [NOT Mobert]
THERESA MURPHY [sic Teresa]
FRANK OPIE
HAROLD R. ROGERS*
JOSEPH SANEL
ARTHUR O THOMPSON
RAYMOND W. THOMPSON
HARRY H. TURCOTTE
RALPH A TURGEON
CARL V. WHIDDEN
LESLIE E. WHITEMAN

★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★
–FLETCHER MURPHY PARK–
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Fletcher Murphy Park memorial, Concord, New Hampshire. Copyright Debbie LaValley. Used here with her permission.

A second memorial is Fletcher-Murphy Park (now called Fletcher-Murphy Play Lot) at 28 Fayette Street in Concord NH. This area was dedicated in 1937 to two nurses, Lucy N. Fletcher, and Teresa M. Murphy, Concord residents who died while serving in World War I. According to a closely placed sign, the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 21 has adopted this location. Reportedly this monument originally sat near the center of the lot, but was moved to a corner when the park was renovated.  The Concord City web site only mentions that there is a basketball court and playground equipment. [Thank you Suzanne Isabelle for correcting me on the Unit #).

Close up of Fletcher-Murphy memorial at Fletcher Murphy Play Lot, Concord NH. Photo courtesy of Debbie LaValley.

The monument is engraved as follows:
FLETCHER MURPHY
PARK
In Memory of
LUCY N. FLETCHER
and
TERESA M. MURPHY
Who Gave Their Lives Serving In
The U.S. Army Nurse Corps 1918
Dedicated November 11, 1937

★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★
AMERICAN LEGION POST #31
WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL
★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★

Penacook, New Hampshire’s WWI Memorial at the American Legion Post #31. This photograph courtesy of Debbie LaValley

The third memorial is located in Penacook, and is the best known of the four memorials. It is located at 11 Charles Street, next to the American Legion Post 31. That monument consists of 3 parts attached to a marble background. On the left side is a memorial to those who served in WWI  including names of both those who served, and those who died in service. The middle portion is a dark marble stone showing white-etched pictures representing various war service, and “Dedicated to All Who Serve” imprinted at the top. On the right side is a plaque honoring Penacook veterans of the Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection. Just below this last plaque is a smaller one in memory of Nelson J. Laclair, first commander of the American Legion Post #31.

World War I Memorial at American Legion Post #31, Penacook NH. Photograph courtesy of Debbie LaValley.

[LEFT SIDE]
1917 — 1919
ERECTED BY THE
AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY
PENACOOK UNIT No. 31
IN MEMORY AND RECOGNITION OF
THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE
WORLD WAR

*MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE*
Bassett Harry | Lambrukas Harry
Clark Richard | McNeil Harold
Holland Roy | Murphy Theresa
Guyette, Joseph

[Left Side]
ABBOTT, CARL | FLORENCE, FRED
AMOR, JOHN | FOLEY, ANDREW
BABB, FRANKLIN | FOLEY, WILLIAM
BARTLETT, LESTER | FOLSOM, HARVEY
BASSETT, EDWARD | FORTIN, WILLIAM
BEAN, HAROLD | GAGNON, LEO
BERRY, GILBERT | GEBO, EUGENE
BERRY, WALTER | GREGG, GUY
BROCKWAY, GEORGE | HALE, ERNEST
BROWN, ROBERT A. | HANSCOM, EDWARD
BRODEUR, SYLVESTER | HANSCOM, SEWARD
BURNHAM, ERNEST | HARDY, HERBERT
CARNEY, EDWARD E. | HOUSTON, GEORGE
CARR, GEORGE | HOUSTON, WALTER
CASSAVAUGH, RAYMOND | HOYT, JEROME
CHENNETTE, JOSEPH | HUCKINS, BERT
CLARKE, MAXWELL | JACKMAN, RICHARD
CHARLETON, ROY | JOHNSON, EARL
COLBY, GEORGE | JONES, ROBERT
COLBY, RALPH | KEEFE, JOHN A.
COWEN, LEVI | KEENAN, ANDREW
CROSSLEY, ELLIS | KEENAN, LAWRENCE
CROWTHER, HOMER | KENNEY, ALLEN
CROWTHER, WILLIAM | KETCHUM, GEORGE C.
DAVIS, LENDALL | KETCHUM, HENRY J.
DECATO, GEORGE | KETCHUM, JOHN C. JR.
DENNEN, JOSEPH | KETCHUM, PERLEY A.
DREW, JOHN | KETCHUM, VICTOR H.
DRISCOLL, FRANK | LABEAU, CHARLES
DRISCOLL, GEORGE | LACOY, ARTHUR
DRAUNT, ROBERT | LACOY, ERNEST
DUDLEY, ROY | LADUKE, DAVID
DUDLEY, TRUEWORTHY | LAFOND, ALBERT
DYER, GEORGE | LAMARRE ELI JR.
DYER, PERVIS | LANDRY, GEORGE
FARRAND, EDMUND | LANDRY, WILLIAM
FENTON, WILLIAM | LESSARD, WILLIAM R.
PREVE, ARMAND JOHN | LE BLANC, EUGENE
MINER, ALBERT

[Right Side]
LANNON, JOHN M. | RODD, JOHN Y.
LANOIX, ALPHONSE | ROLFE, RICHARD
LASSOND, EDWARD | ROLFE, RUSSELL
LASSOND, RICHARD | ROLFE, WALTER
LAVOIE, ARTHUR | ROMANOS, THEODORE
LAVOIE, LEO | ROMEYN, JAMES K.
LAVOIE, WILLIAM | ROY, HENRY
LECLAIR NELSON J. JR. | ROY, LEO
MAGEE, LEON | SARGENT, CHARLES C.
MASSE, CHARLES | SCOTT, EARL
MATOTT, FABER | SEBRA, LEON
MATTICE, RICHARD | SHEPARD, ALBERT
McGINNIS, JAMES | SIMONEAU, ALBERT
McNEIL, HAROLD | SIMONEAU, ERNEST
McNEIL, RALPH | SIMONEAU, JOSEPH
McNABB, ROBERT | SIMONEAU, USIBE
McQUE, EARL | SPEARMAN, ALFRED
MILLER, ARTHUR | SULLIVAN, FRANK J.
MILLER, EUGENE A. | SUPRY, GEORGE
MILLER, JAMES A. | SWEATT, RALPH
MILTON, GEORGE V. | TERRY, FRED VB.
MINER, CHARLES | TIERNEY, AGNES M.
MINER, LEO | TIERNEY THOMAS J. JR.
MINER, WILFRED | TRUE, FOSTER
MOORE, THOMAS | TUFTS, HARRY
MORRILL, EDWIN A. | VIRGIN, ANDREW
MORRILL, PERCY E. | WATTERSON, ERNEST
MORRIS, JOSEPH | WATTERSON, FLOYD
MULLIGAN, FRED | WATTS, LELAND
MULLIGAN, GEORGE | WATTS, LOUIS
MULLIGAN, WILLIAM | WELCH, ALFRED
PLANKEY, J. ELMER | WHITE, FRED
PROVOST, LEO K. | WHITE, WILLIAM E.
PROVOST, LESTER | WILMOT, HARRY
RHEAUME, PETER | YOUNG, HAROLD
ROBERTS, GEORGE | YOUNG, JESSE
PAPINEAU, FRANK | YOUNG, EDWARD
PAPINEAU, WILLIAM | SCANLON, JOHN

Spanish American and Philippine War plaque, (and Nelson J. Laclair memorial) Penacook, NH. Courtesy Debbie LaValley.

[RIGHT SIDE]
IN HONOR OF
PENACOOK VETERANS
OF THE
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
AND THE
PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION

FRED KEEFE, Co. C [in box, so killed]
CHARLES T. BROOKS, Co C
WILLIAM J. CORBETT, Co. C
JAMES H. DRISCOLL, Co. C
JOHN E. FERRIN, Co. C
GEORGE C. NORRIS Co. C
GALE DUDLEY, Co. E
ERNEST ROYCE, Co. E
JOHN A. ROYCE, Co. E
JAMES H. WOOLEY, Co. E
JAMES E. FIFE, Co. G
NAPOLEON N. MINER, Co. G
EDWARD H. MACMARE, Co. H
ALONZO M. NUTTING Co. H
JOHN H. ROBERTS Co. H
THOMAS ROUSE Co. H
JAMES W. SHEA Co. H
JOSEPH A. FLORENCE, PHILIPPINES 26th IN.
JOHN T. PARKINSON PHILIPPINES Co. H 22 U.S.A.
FRED V. TERRY NAVY
———————————————-
[Below]
In Memory of
NELSON J. LACLAIR
First Commander
AMERICAN LEGION POST #31
Penacook, NH

★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★
JOSEPH GUYETTE SWIMMING POOL
MEMORIAL at Rolfe Park
WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL
★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★

Photograph of Commemorative boulder in front of Guyette Pool aka Rolfe Park Pool. Copyright Debbie LaValley, used here with her permission.

The fourth memorial is one that I wrote about a few months ago.  It is located at the end of Dolphin Street in Concord NH. It was built in the 1930s,  a swimming pool memorial tablet at Rolfe Park.  The Concord City web site calls it “Rolfe Park Pool” (SHAME on them), but thankfully there is a marker.

According to my earlier story, Private Joseph Guyette was a member of Company E, 103rd infantry, sent to France with his Division shortly after America declared war. He was only 19 years old. Joseph N. Guyette died on 16 June 1918. He was the first son of Penacook to lose his life in World War 1. [See photograph at top of page, and read more at the original article about the ‘Penacook Brigade.’].  The plaque is engraved as follows:

GUYETTE (seal of US Army) POOL
In Memory of
JOSEPH N. GUYETTE
Co E 103 INF 26th DIV
ENLISTED APRIL 1, 1917 CONCORD NH
KILLED IN ACTION 15 JUNE 1918 XIVRAY FRANCE

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Lt. Sydney Beauclerk Jr.
(Individual Memorial)
Concord Municipal Airport
★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★

Photograph of Beauclerk memorial at Concord (NH) AIrport, taken 4 October 2018 by D.R. Used with permission.

The fifth memorial –My deepest thanks to David Rolla who pointed out that “there is another individual WW1 monument in Concord NH. It is located at the Concord Municipal Airport, 65 Airport Road, and states that the field is dedicated to the memory of Sydney W Beauclerk, Jr.”

The plaque is mounted on a stone under a flag at the main entrance to the airport, just south of the intersection of Old Turnpike Rd./Regional Dr. and Airport Road. I am told it is very easy to find and accessible to the public. [Best to drive and park in the parking lot as there is no parking on the street].

Closeup of Beauclerk plaque, taken by D.R. used with permission.

The plaque is mounted on a boulder and engraved as follows:

THIS FIELD
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
SYDNEY W. BEAUCLERK
First Lieutenant 12th Aero
Squadron 4th Army Corps
KILLED IN ACTION OCt. 29th 1918
at Champigneulle, France
Nov. 11th, 1929

★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★
BRIGADIER GENERAL
CHARLES A. DOYEN PARK
NOW MONUMENT
★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★

Doyen monument at corner of Court and Montgomery Street before construction and removal.

—BRIG. GENERAL CHARLES A. DOYEN PARK–
Sixth memorial–there used to be a Charles A. Doyen Park, now just the monument remains.  In the 1919 City of Concord Annual Report: Resolution Changing the name of City Hall Park in said City to That of DOYEN PARK. Resolved by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Concord as follows: Section 1. That as an honor to one of Concord’s distinguished sons, Brig. Gen. Charles A. Doyen who led the American marines to the first fruits of victory at Chateau Thierry in France, and that for his deed of valor there may always be a lasting reminder of his native city’s pride and gratitude for his service to city, state and nation,–the City Council of Concord does hereby re-name the plot now known as City Hall Park to be hereafter and forever known as Doyen Park,

Doyen monument at its new (2018) location on the Pitman street side of the old Courthouse building. Photo courtesy of David Cedarholm.

and that a tablet suitable inscribed shall be placed in some appropriate place in the Park, the cost of the same not to exceed two hundred dollars. Passed December 30, 1918.” Even the Boston Globe was excited about it and used it as an example for the City of Boston to create a lasting monument too. “Concord, N.H. already ones one “solders’ memorial” of the recent war. Its City Hall Park has been renamed by vote of the Board of Aldermen, Doyen Park in honor of Brig Gen. Charles A. Doyen, U.S.M.C., a native of Concord, who died recently in this country soon after his return from active service in France. A committee has been appointed to place a suitable tablet in the park, narrating the reasons for its name.”   In 1920:  Resolution Appropriate Money for the Tablet in Doyen Park. Resolved by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Concord [NH] as follows: “That the sum of two hundred thirty and 19-100 dollars ($230.19) be, and the same hereby is, appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated for the tablet in Doyen Park. Passed Dec 8, 1919. [This was accomplished].  A 1922 Boston Globe article states that the Merrimack County

Plaque on the Doyen monument. Courtesy of David Cedarholm.

Courthouse is “surrounded by Doyen Park.”  Various small upgrades were made over the years to this park including walkways and fencing.  The 1955 City of Concord Annual Report shows the beginning of turning the park into a parking lot:  December 12 1955– Passed Resolution authorizing negotiation with County for exchange of land for widening Court Street and additional parking in Doyen Park.   In 1976 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Concord, N.H. a $318,000 grant for use under the community development program. Projects scheduled under the program include construction in the city of a Bicentennial plaza, enlargement and reconstruction of the community’s Merrill Park and the rebuilding of Doyen Park.  2017-2018. The remainder of Doyen park disappears, and the monument that sat near the corner of Court and Montgomery streets is moved to the front and southeast corner of the old Courthouse building, viewable from Pitman Street.   [my thanks to David Cedarholm of Concord’s Engineering Department for locating the monument for me].

–DEDICATED NOVEMBER 11, 1924–

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Concord’s WWI Monument to Company M New Hampshire State Guard – White Park (thanks to Douglas Finney). 
★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★★

My personal thanks to the very talented and generous Debbie LaValley of Boscawen who took and shared these photographs of the American Legion,  Fletcher-Murphy and Joseph Guyette monuments; and also thanks to Borne and Elizabeth Mace, who took the photographs at Concord’s Memorial Field. These are all taken in 2016, and are under copyright by the photographers.  Please do not reuse without their express written permission.

ALSO SEE: New Hampshire World War I Military: Heroes of The Great War