19: Veterans Square

Veterans Park was created in 1892 in conjunction with construction of the granite railroad passenger station by the Concord & Montreal Railroad. At the same time, “Depot Square” was laid out. The name of Depot Square was changed to Veterans Square by ordinance enacted by the City Council, Nov. 7, 1921, following World War I. 

An obelisk honoring Civil War veterans was dedicated, June 16, 1904. Two naval cannons with pyramids of oversized cannonballs were added at the same time but the park was otherwise unchanged until Nov. 11, 1990, when monuments to veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam were dedicated. A granite “eternal flame” memorial to veterans of all wars was moved from the traffic island between the Congregational Church and Prescott’s Florist to the park, Nov. 5, 1991. World War I tablets were rehabilitated and moved across the street, in 2017, to the park from the vicinity of the Library flagpole — where they had been dedicated, Nov. 11, 1919. A monument to veterans of the Spanish-American War, originally installed on the library lawn, was also moved to the Veterans Park.