Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR
Nashua, New Hampshire

Historical Markers placed by
the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR

There are thirteen historical sites that have been marked by the chapter in the Nashua, New Hampshire, area. In addition, over 100 Revolutionary soldiers' graves have been marked in eleven different cemeteries. These cemeteries are located in the towns of Nashua, Hudson, Litchfield, Lyndeborough, Merrimack, Pelham, Rindge, New Hampshire, and Dunstable, Massachusetts.

Second Meeting House

The second meeting house, located then in Dunstable,Massachusetts now Nashua, New Hampshire, 1685-1738. On November 27, 1900, Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, dedicated a tablet on a large granite boulder in the South Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire, to mark the site of the first church and the Dunstable second meeting house. This is where a log meeting house was built in 1684. The inscription reads, "NEAR THIS SPOT IN 1684 THE SETTLERS OF DUNSTABLE BUILT THEIR SECOND MEETING HOUSE REV. THOMAS WELD, MINISTER THIS MEMORIAL ERECTED BY MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER, D.A.R. NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE AD 1900"
The boulder is located in the Old South Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire, on Daniel Webster Highway, formerly Great Boston Road, across from Poisson Avenue. Next to Walgreens Pharmacy.

Revolutionary War Heroes

Numerous Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in the Old Dunstable (Old South) Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire. In 1910, a stone marker with a bronze tablet was erected by the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, in one of the oldest cemeteries in Nashua,etin New Hampshire, dedicated to the memory of known and unknown Revolutionary War soldiers buried there.


The chapter has also marked many known Revolutionary War soldiers' graves with the bronze marker pictured below.

It reads, "Revolutionary Soldier 1775-1783 Erected by Matthew Thornton Chapter D.A.R."
The marker is located in the Old South Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire, on Daniel Webster Highway, formerly Great Boston Road, across from Poisson Avenue. Next to Walgreens Pharmacy.


On November 4, 1901, the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, placed a bronze tablet on a boulder in the Evergreen Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire, to memorialize the "Old South" meeting house and the "Bird" meeting house. The inscription reads, "A FEW FEET SOUTH OF THIS SPOT STOOD THE "Old South" Meeting House Dedicated Nov. 4, 1812 NORTH OF THIS BURYING GROUND WAS BUILT A.D. 1747 The "Bird" Meeting House THIS MEMORIAL ERECTED BY MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER, D.A.R NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE A.D. 1901"
The Evergreen Cemetery is located in Nashua, New Hampshire, at the intersection of Main Street and East Dunstable Road. The marker is located near the stone wall down the middle of the cemetery in the 1955 section.

Old Meeting House, 1754-1812.

The old meeting house, 1754-1812, was located in Dunstable, New Hampshire, in Meeting House Park, Nashua, New Hampshire. The chapter acquired the fifth meeting house giving it to the city to be known for all time as "Meeting House Park," the site of an early meeting house, of the Church of Dunstable.


On November 4, 1901, a stone marker was placed by the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, to mark the old meeting house. The inscription reads, "ON THIS SPOT STOOD, FROM 1754 TO 1812 THE MEETING HOUSE IN DUNSTABLE. N.H. MARKED BY MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER DAR NASHUA. NH"
The marker is located on South Main Street, Nashua, New Hampshire. Almost immediately on your right from the Main Street roundabout, there is a triangle of land called Meeting House Park.

John Lovewell and Hannah Dustin Landmark

In 1902, the chapter placed a historical marker on the site of John Lovewell's homestead, where Hannah Duston stayed the night after she escaped from the Indians. The inscription reads, "ON THIS POINT OF LAND DWELT JOHN LOVEWELL ONE OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS OF DUNSTABLE AT WHOSE HOUSE HANNAH DUSTON SPENT THE NIGHT AFTER HER ESCAPE FROM THE INDIANS AT PENACOOK ISLAND MARCH 30, 1697 ERECTED BY MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER, D.A.R 1902"


John Lovewell's homestead was originally located on Spaulding Street. The marker is now on a small plot of land at Allds and Fifield Streets in Nashua, New Hampshire. Allds Street is located off of Main Street.

Revolutionary War soldiers plaque
of Old Dunstable, New Hampshire

A large bronze tablet was placed in 1905 by the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, on the walls of the then Nashua Public Library, now known as the Hunt Memorial Library. The plaque honors the many men from Old Dunstable, now Nashua, who served in the Revolutionary War. The inscription reads, "1775-1783 IN HONOR OF THE MEN OF OLD DUNSTABLE THE FOUNDERS OF NASHUA WHO FOUGHT IN THE WAR OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THAT THEY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS MIGHT ENJOY CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THIS TABLET (DAR INSIGNIA) IS ERECTED A.D. 1905 BY MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION NASHUA, N.H."
The marker is located at 6 Main Street, Nashua, on the corner of Main and Lowell Streets, Library Hill, Nashua, New Hampshire.

Meeting House of the Church of
Dunstable, Massachusetts, 1738-1747

On October 12, 1907, a marker made of granite, was placed to mark the third meeting house. It is three feet high, two inches thick, and nine inches across, from the Church of Dunstable, Massachuettes, now Nashua, New Hampshire. This marks the third meeting house of the Church of Dunstable. This marker has been moved from its original placement to accommodate the many expansions of Daniel Webster Highway. The inscription reads, "HERE STOOD IN 1741 ONE OF THE EARLY MEETING HOUSES OF THE CHURCH IN DUNSTABLE MARKED A.D. 1907 BY MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER D.A.R NASHUA, N.H."
The marker presently rests at the south end of Daniel Webster Highway in front of Webster Square shopping area in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Hassell Family Massacre
Nashua, New Hampshire

In May 1916, a bronze tablet for $25.00, was placed by the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, near the home of one of the Pioneer families, Hassell by name, who was killed by the Indians. In a newspaper article dated April 19, 1928, the chairman of historical sites of the chapter reported that the committee had voted to replace the Hassell marker at Hassell Brook, which was destroyed during the war. The marker appeared on a bridge that went over the brook, hence Hassell Brook. A picture of the marker and the wording was found in the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, scrapbook.

In 1954, the area of the Hassell Massacre was developed and houses were built across the street. A future Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, member moved into the neighborhood, her house on Almont Street was directly across the street from the site. She realized the importance of the site. She asked the developer what had happened to the marker that appeared on the bridge. The answer she received was not what she wanted to hear so she began her quest to have the site rededicated. Her persistence paid off and in 1960 the New Hampshire Extension Group remarked the site. The mayor of Nashua, Mario J. Vagge (1958-1965), attended the rededication and gave a heartwarming speech. In 1977, that woman became a member of the Matthew Thornton Chapter, NSDAR, not knowing that her fellow chapter daughters had marked this historical site in the past. The inscription reads, "THE HASSELL MASSACRE THIS STONE MARKS THE SPOT WHERE JOSEPH HASSELL, HIS WIFE ANNA, HIS SON BENJAMIN AND MARY MARKS WERE SLAIN AND SCALPED BY HOSTILE INDIANS, SEPT. 2, 1691 THEY WERE ALL BURIED HERE WHERE THE HASSELL HOUSE STOOD. THIS MARKER PLACED HERE BY NEW HAMPSHIRE EXTENSION GROUP 1960" The location of the marker is across the street from 88 Almont Street, Nashua, New Hampshire. There is a paved walkway to the marker. There is no sign marking the area.

Honorary State Regents Tree Planting
in Meeting House Park, Nashua, New Hampshire

In 1932, the chapter placed a marker and planted a tree in honor of two chapter daughters who were honorary state regents. An honorary state regent is a daughter who has served as state regent of the New Hampshire State Organization Daughters of the American Revolution (NHSODAR). At the end of her term, she has been elected and given this title in recognition of the accomplishments that she made during her term of office. The park commission planted the maple tree for a cost of $3.00. The inscription reads, "THIS TREE DEDICATED TO HONORARY STATE REGENTS PLACED (DAR INSIGNIA) BY THE MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER D.A.R. The tree is over 70 years old and located in the Meeting House Park on South Main Street, Nashua, New Hampshire.

George Washington Memorial
Nashua, New Hampshire.

In 1932 the chapter placed a marker and planted a maple and elm tree to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of George Washington’s birth. The cost of the two trees was $17.10.


The inscription reads, "MEETING HOUSE PARK THESE TREES PLANTED IN MEMORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON 1732-1932 PLACED BY THE MATTHEW THORNTON CHAPTER D.A.R." The memorial is located in the Meeting House Park on South Main Street, Nashua, New Hampshire.

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Hassell Brook marker document photos courtesy of chapter archives. Photos courtesy of a chapter member. The image above of Matthew Thornton was created by a chapter member. The content contained herein does not necessarily represent the position of the NSDAR. Hyperlinks to other sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters. Click here to contact the webmaster.