The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire (BHTNH) in Partnership with David and Liisa Palance is excited to announce the unveiling of a historic marker honoring Harriet E. Wilson at the historic Nehemiah Hayward Homestead in Milford, NH. This will be the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire’s second commemorative marker in Milford.
The unveiling ceremony will take place Saturday, April 26, at 10 AM. The marker will be located at the Nehemiah Hayward Homestead, 19 Maple Street, Milford, NH. This marker is intentionally placed in a central location to be able to be seen by the public.
Harriet E. Wilson was the first Black novelist in the United States. Her novel, Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black was published anonymously in 1859 in Boston, Massachusetts. After being abandoned by age six, Harriet Wilson was indentured to the Hayward family until age eighteen and was often in poor health. While indentured, she lived in the Nehemiah Hayward Homestead from 1830 to 1846. Her writing was deeply influenced by the trauma she suffered in this homestead during her upbringing. Wilson’s life and her novel confronting the harsh realities of her time are a testament to her resilience, courage, and fortitude.
Representatives from the Black Heritage Trail, along with other community members, will give brief remarks, and light refreshments will follow. After the ceremony, guests are encouraged to tour inside the Nehemiah Hayward Homestead.
Preserve Black History in New Hampshire