---
template: byway.jade
id: "76111"
name: General John Stark Scenic Byway
distance: "34"
duration: "An hour and 10 minutes to drive, 3 hours to explore the byway"
description: "New Hampshire’s state motto “Live Free or Die” has been attributed to the state’s best-known Revolutionary War hero, General John Stark. Explore his history as you travel this 33.3-mile circular route through Goffstown, Dunbarton, New Boston, and Weare."
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websites: 
  - url: "http://www.nhmagazine.com/November-2009/The-Generals-Byway/"
    name: Article from New Hampshire Magazine
  - url: "http://www.visitnh.gov/"
    name: "Visit New Hampshire!"
designations: 
  - New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byway
states: 
  - NH
ll: 
  - -71.67942750838061
  - 43.13865664023445
bounds: 
  - - -71.75228899999998
    - 42.976131999999986
  - - -71.596863
    - 43.149922000000004

---

“Live Free or Die,” New Hampshire’s state motto, has been attributed to the state’s best-known Revolutionary War hero, General John Stark. Explore his history as you travel the circular byway route through Goffstown, Dunbarton, New Boston, and Weare.

Between the French and Indian Wars and the Revolutionary War, John Stark spent much of his time at the Page homestead in Dunbarton. He later married Elizabeth “Molly” Page. Visit the cannon named after her, which was captured from the British at the Battle of Bennington. You can also visit the Molly Stark House, where she lived while her husband was off at war. Other Stark historical sites include the Caleb Stark Statue, a tribute to General John Stark’s son, who, like his father, fought in the Revolutionary War; and the Stark Cemetery in Dunbarton, where many Stark family members lie buried.

Not only does the byway include elements from the days of General John Stark, it also features historic sites from other periods of history. The Piscataquog River, which flows alongside much of the route, became a valuable resource during the Industrial Revolution. Sections of the old railroad bed through the towns of Weare, New Boston, and Goffstown serve today as walking and biking paths.

Throughout the year, fairs and festivals celebrate the region’s rural culture. The Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair in New Boston and the annual Goffstown Pumpkin Weigh-off and Regatta are just a couple of examples of these celebrations that attract visitors from around the state and beyond to the General John Stark Scenic Byway.