Politics & Government
Portrait Of America's First Black Elected Official To Hang In New Hampshire State House
Newmarket Rep. Wentworth Cheswill, a free biracial man regarded as the state's first landowner of African descent, was elected in 1801.
A portrait of America’s first Black elected official, Newmarket state Rep. Wentworth Cheswill, will hang in the New Hampshire State House following its unveiling Friday.
Cheswill served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1801 and held numerous public offices over the course of his life. He was born in Newmarket in 1746 to Hopestill Cheswill, a free biracial man regarded as New Hampshire’s first landowner of African descent.
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In addition to serving as an elected official, Cheswill served during the Revolutionary War in John Stark’s brigade at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 and worked as a messenger to and from Exeter. Cheswill also founded Newmarket’s first schoolhouse and the Newmarket Social Library, one of the state’s first lending libraries.
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Friday’s unveiling in Representatives Hall featured remarks from Senate President Sharon Carson, Deputy House Speaker Steven Smith, former state Rep. Charlotte DiLorenzo, D-Newmarket, and Scott Borthwick, grand master of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire Freemasons, which commissioned the portrait. The portrait was painted by Merrimack artist Ryan Flynn.
During her time in the State House, DiLorenzo championed the effort to have Cheswill’s portrait displayed. She previously sponsored legislation establishing Wentworth Cheswill Day, which was recognized for the first time on April 11, 2022.
She later proposed House Bill 1586, which would have authorized a portrait of Cheswill to be displayed in the New Hampshire State House. The Senate amended the 2022 bill to authorize a plaque instead of a portrait, but the portrait was ultimately authorized under Senate Bill 331, which passed in 2024.
“We have to inspire others to learn about Cheswill’s life, share his story and help ensure his contributions are remembered and honored for future generations,” DiLorenzo said.
This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.
