Safest Crop in Chester

It's the time of year once again when scarecrows and pumpkin people increase the population of  many New England towns—Some more so than others.

Driving through the town of Chester, NH, is a leisurely drive most days, but since 2010 it's become a fall destination for many people, and this year, ourselves included. 

In a year of social distancing, this is an event which can be done from driving along Routes 102 and 121, but on busy weekends it's harder to slow down to see all these seasonal scarecrows that are anything but “standard.”

Chester is considered one of the oldest towns in NH. Every October, its population is temporarily increased by up to 1,000 seasonal residents. This quintessential New England village features many stately 18th and 19th century residences. Railroads bypassed the town later in the 19th century, and the lack of new development helped preserve the town’s appearance.

Town residents definitely have a sense of humor and a lot of whimsical creativity as hundreds of scarecrows can be seen throughout the town. Estimates place the current number at close to 1,000 as 100 new kits are sold each year since the project started a decade ago.

The Chester Historical Society (CHS) started the now traditional displays as a fundraiser, selling 60 scarecrows the first year. The project was the brainchild of  member Jackie Brown. Residents purchased the kits and created the very personalized scarecrows. Since then, the scarecrows have become a town tradition.

Each kit includes a painted burlap face and sticks to help the figure stand. No two faces are alike. Only 100 kits are made each year, but the scarecrow population keeps growing as residents add to their collections.

The CHS announces when the scarecrow bodies go on sale, usually the second Saturday in September. No advance orders can be placed and they sell out fast, usually before the end of the month. A purchase/donation is for a painted burlap head and wooden body frame.

Scarecrows are made by CHS members who create the kits at a “Scarecrow Sweatshop,” Some members cut out the scarecrow heads from burlap material, others paint faces, sew heads and then iron them. Jackie's husband, Don Brown, president of the historical society, creates the wooden body structures. The couple is also represented by scarecrows ↓.

Many figures take up seasonal residence along Routes 102 and 121, and many are congregated where three properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places — Chester Village Cemetery, Chester Congregational and Baptist Church, and Stevens Memorial Hall — converge. (The National Register of Historic Places is the U.S. federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for historical significance.) According to an online site, Chester may be the only NH town with listed properties occupying three of four intersecting corners. We were able to park, then safely walk to view a collection of scarecrows in this area, including some of the ones below.

Many residents spend much of the year planning the elaborate creations, each with its own story to tell. It's been reported that many people know what they’re going to do next year, even before the kits are available. Each year, residents change their scarecrow creation, with the exception of the historical figures and town heroes which they are encouraged to retain each year.

No two are alike, all are all responsible for slowing traffic and turning heads. Many figures represent historical and literary personages: George Washington stands guard over a cemetery where Revolutionary War soldiers are buried; Edgar Allen Poe stands with a copy of The Raven by the Chester Village Cemetery with a raven perched on his shoulder. Ben Franklin flies a kite.

Others are simply whimsical. The seasonal residents span decades and represent everything from pop-culture icons, to popular tv shows, classic movies, funny puns, and even horror. The front yard of one residence featured Marilyn Monroe, Little Orphan Annie, and Alfred Einstein

Not only have the scarecrows grown in number and creativity over 10 years, so have the number of Scarecrow Peepers who show up every October as well. It has put Chester, NH, on many fall road trip destinations. One year, the town was featured in an AAA story which drew visitors from many non-New England states.

Sometimes, you can go to a town’s online site and read about residents griping about one thing or another, not so in Chester, NH, in October where the town talk is usually about one thing — scarecrows. It’s happy and people are positive — that’s a very good thing these days.

Scarecrows stay up the entire month of October and go into hibernation after Halloween. By no means did we even come close to seeing all the scarecrows throughout the town’s 26 miles of roadway. We plan to start earlier next year.

 

The concept of scarecrow people isn't new. Many projects can be found throughout the U.S. and abroad too; it's also the name of a reggae band. For aficionados willing to travel (when they can), there’s a very unique scarecrow site along Highway 5 outside of Suomussalmi, Finland, where over 1,000 scarecrow-like figures, The Silent People (Hiljainen kansa) stand in a field. Created by artist Reijo Kela in 1988 these simple wooden bodies are made of bog-like material and straw hair and wear colorful clothing which is changed twice a year. 

The artist has never explained his purpose preferring that viewers come up with their own interpretations. A popular theory is that they represent those lost during a battle that took place during the Winter War of 1939-1940 between Finland and Soviet Russia.

Internet source

Motorists term the sight amusing or scary. The figures are constructed of peat heads covered in straw hair. The cross-shaped wooden bodies are draped with colorful clothing that is collected through donation and changed by the Suomussalmi Youth Workshop which maintains the installation.

 

For now, we plan to continue viewing local scarecrow installations. The downtown scarecrows are back along Main St, Nashua, NH, and will be featured in a future post.