The Hillsborough Historical Society will be hosting a “DO YOU REMEMBER?” series of roundtable discussions in order to enhance its archives by collecting stories about Hillsborough’s deceased residents, notable events, and businesses of yesteryear from those of you who remember them.

DO YOU REMEMBER SUSAN and/or MARY PIERCE?“  They will be the topic of the Society’s first round table discussion to be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 28th, in the Society’s Heritage Museum located in the old firehouse on 5 Central Street.

Please note: The snow date for this initial discussion will be Wednesday January 30th at 11 a.m., if needed.

Susan Pierce (1881-1974) and Mary Pierce (1883-1971), prominent residents of the Hillsborough Lower Village, were grand-nieces of Hillsborough’s native son President Franklin Pierce (1804-1869).“  These sisters were the granddaughters of Franklin’s youngest brother NH Representative Henry Dearborn Pierce (1812-1882) and Susan Tuttle (1815-1874), and the daughters of Franklin’s nephew Attorney Kirk Dearborn Pierce (1845-1882) and Mary A. Collins (1845-1910).

Susan and Mary were were very active in the Hillsborough community.“  They were the first tour guides at the Pierce Homestead when the state opened it to the public as a“ tourist attraction in 1929.“  They belonged to the Hillsborough Historical Society, the Bird and Garden Club, and the Ladies Aid Society. As female descendants of Franklin’s dad Benjamin Pierce (1757-1839) who had served in the American Revolution, Mary and Susan were proud members of the DAR.“  Mary wrote a regular column entitled“ “A Lower Village Story” in Hillsborough’s newspaper The Messenger.“  Susie, as she“ was called, was a teacher in the Hillsborough schools, and she delivered a speech at the dedication of her great-uncle Franklin’s statue in front of the NH State House.

To those of you in the greater Hillsborough community who knew these ladies, please join us.“  The Society would love to hear and preserve your memories of them, and any information that may have been passed down to the sisters regarding other members of the Pierce family. No memory is too small!!“  To those of you who did not know them, you are welcome to join us to learn about these historical figures who called Hillsborough their home.

If you are unable to attend the roundtable discussion, please submit your memories…

Mail: Hillsborough Historical Society, PO Box 896, Hillsborough, NH 03244-0896
Phone: 603-464-3637
Email: Hillsboroughhistory@gmail.com
or in person on a Wednesday or Saturday 9:00 AM -12:00 PM.

The Society’s second “DO YOU REMEMBER” roundtable discussion will be on the NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP that threatened Hillsborough in 1986. Watch for the time and date in our local newspapers or the Society’s website: https://hillsboroughhistory.org