The N.H. Division of Historical Resources is pleased to announce that a New Hampshire Historical Highway Marker has been installed in Boscawen to highlight the history of the Gerrish Depot on the former Northern Railroad.
The marker reads:
“Constructed in 1855 to replace the original station, this is the oldest surviving depot on the former Northern Railroad. First known as ‘North Boscawen Depot,’ it was renamed in 1909 following a fatal train collision caused by confusion over similar station names, along with several other depots on the line. The name ‘Gerrish’ was chosen in honor of a prominent farming family. The depot provided freight and passenger service for local farms and residents, the state nursery, the county nursing home, and county jail until 1955.”
Managed by the State of New Hampshire’s Historic Sites Bureau, Gerrish Depot is undergoing historic rehabilitation. Its roof was recently resheathed with the help of Conservation License Plate funds.
Any municipality, agency, organization or individual wishing to propose a historical highway marker to commemorate significant New Hampshire places, persons or events must submit a petition of support signed by at least 20 New Hampshire residents. They must also draft the text of the marker and provide footnotes and copies of supporting documentation, as well as a suggested location for marker placement.
New Hampshire’s historical highway markers illustrate the depth and complexity of our history and the people who made it, from the last Revolutionary War soldier to contemporary sports figures to poets and painters who used New Hampshire for inspiration; from 18th-century meeting houses to stone arch bridges to long-lost villages; from factories and cemeteries to sites where international history was made.
An interactive map of all of the state’s historical highway markers is available at the N.H. Division of Historical Resources’ website, nh.gov/nhdhr.
The New Hampshire historical highway marker program is jointly managed by the N.H. Division of Historical Resources and N.H. Department of Transportation.