The Soldiers’ Monument was given to the town by Arthur G. Pollard, in memory of the 101 Plaistow men who served in the Civil War. The monument has a 14-foot high granite base with an 8-foot bronze soldier and is located on the spot which was once the center of the old dirt road which crossed the common. It was dedicated with appropriate exercises, held under the auspices of the Village Improvement Society on September 12, 1908. Planning is underway for a 100th anniversary celebration in 2008
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- Preservation expert Rika Smith McNally cleaning the bronze soldier. Her workers have completed wrapping the granite pedestal with waterproof material to prevent staining the granite with cleaning and preservation materials.
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- A. G. Pollard’s Design Bronze Soldier – A. G. Pollard, the monument benefactor, toured Southern battlefields to design the soldier figure himself. He selected the head from one statue, the body and posture from another, and from a third he chose the manner of the soldier’s statue. Pollard discarded the usual parade-rest position in favor of one hand on his cartridge box with the opposite arm holding his gun. Haverhill Gazette 9/12/1908
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- Restoring the Bronze Tablets Scaffolded monument showing protection of granite surfaces while working on bronze tablets on the front and sides.
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- Rika Restoring Bronze Tablet Rika applying restoration chemicals being applied by workers.
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- Rika Smith McNally & Associates Conservators of Objects & Sculpture. Name of the firm employed by the Monument Restoration Committee (Barry Sargent, chm, Louis Drew, George Melvin, Brenda Major, Bernadine FitzGerald, Dan Poliquin).
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- Name Corrections Restoration of the monument included corrections to the veteran’s names on the bronze tablets.
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- Restoration Complete A “Soldiers’ Monument” erected in 1908, cleaned and preserved for a 100th anniversary celebration in 2008.
