Wentworth Veterans Memorial

The Wentworth Veterans Memorial Inc. is a grassroots organization formed by local veterans and their families to commemorate all those with ties to Wentworth who have served in the Armed Forces. The concept has been in play for many years and is finally coming to fruition with a location, design concept and a nonprofit business entity awaiting a tax-exempt status from the IRS.

The location of the memorial will be on the lawn of the Wentworth Historical Society along Rt. 25 and East Side Road. The Wentworth Historical Society overwhelmingly approved our proposal and has partnered with us in this endeavor. The memorial will complement the Historical Society Building and tie into the covered bridge #71 with a walkway. The old Wentworth Town Hall, which is across the street, has been registered as a historical site and soon to be rehabbed to its original glory. These structures will now have a historical focus and complement each other.

The design concept for the memorial is a simple but elegant design. It will consist of 11 local granite boulders each engraved with an armed conflict on a flat polished face. The center stone and obelisk will list all of the branches of the Armed Forces. The remaining 10 stones will be arranged in a V shape to parallel the two adjacent roads. The point of the V will have a tall thin obelisk like rock that brings the north bound travelers eye up to the flagpole. This further accentuates the American flag. Ten granite boulders will be natural on the outside facing the parallel roads, giving it a “Stonehenge” effect. The inner faces will be smooth and denote the various conflicts memorialized. The flagpole will be surrounded by a layer cake of curved stones to create a sitting area. A stone walkway will be in front of these stones leading to the flagpole, past the Historical Society building and onto the covered bridge.

The creation of this monument will occur in 2 stages. The first goal is to place the boulders in the V formation and the flagpole. Once in place, the borders will be engraved on a flat surface. Thanks to some initial generous donations, the boulders have been purchased and are lined up as a platoon waiting for deployment in the parking lot of the Old Wentworth Town Hall.

The second phase will be the construction of the walkway. In an effort to raise funds, the paving stones will be for sale and engraved with those Veterans and their families who are interesting in being remembered. Benches along the stone memorial will also help to fund the project.

As a remembrance to each individual from Wentworth that served, we will be compiling a book which will be kept in the Wentworth Historical Society. At a later date, we will be asking that all those interested send any information and pictures of those individuals.

All donations are greatly appreciated and can be sent to Wentworth Veterans Memorial, PO Box 264, Wentworth, NH 03282. All inquiries can be made at [email protected]