UNH researchers examine and rebury human remains from the 1800s in Brentwood

For two years, about 30 students and researchers from the University of New Hampshire studied human remains uncovered during a 1999 construction project in Brentwood. The remains, which date back to the 1800s, were found on land that once housed the Brentwood poor farm, a facility that provided shelter for the impoverished.

The discovery was accidental. In 1999, a man living on land that had once been part of the poor farm had construction work done and part of the skeletons were inadvertently transferred the remains to a new field, where they were discovered by construction workers. The state medical examiner, along with local and state police, held the remains for 23 years before UNH was asked to examine them starting in 2022. 

The bones were filled with dirt and were deemed “historic.” The team’s research focused on learning more about the lives of these individuals and the community they came from. Nine partially complete individuals and 54 bone fragments were uncovered. Researchers estimated that the adults were between 35 and 50 years old at the time of death, according to a report published in the Cambridge University Press. One skull fragment was believed to belong to a 17-year-old child.

Alex Garcia-Putnam, co-director of the Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (F.A.I.R.) Lab at UNH, said the remains showed clear signs of arthritis, dental disease, and physical strain likely caused by the laborious life the individuals led.

“Right where two bones are coming together to form a joint, they can start rubbing together. That soft tissue breaks down. And over time, bones can actually fuse together if it’s severe enough,” Garcia-Putnam said. “We did see fused vertebrae, and we also saw remains that had been worn down by bone rubbing on bone.”

The UNH lab, which was established 5-6 years ago, specializes in forensic anthropology and archaeology. At the time of the discovery, there was no lab in New Hampshire that could conduct this type of analysis.

The Brentwood Poor Farm operated from 1841 to 1868, according to the report, and housed a fluctuating number of residents, often according to the season. Historical records show that 193 paupers lived in Brentwood, though the exact number of residents at any given time is unclear. 

Poor farms were community institution where individuals were often divided into two categories—the “worthy poor” and the “unworthy poor.” The worthy poor were those who were poor due to disability and generally received better treatment, while the unworthy poor, who were impoverished for other reasons, often endured harder lives.

By 1868, maintaining the Brentwood poor farm had become too financially burdensome, and the property was sold to pay off debts from the Civil War. Despite the closure, the building continued to serve as a medical facility until the 1960s, with a particularly large influx of residents during the Great Depression.

The remains of the individuals uncovered in 1999 were reburied this fall following a short ceremony. A local cabinet maker crafted a box to house the remains and the collaboration involved the current landowners, the local historical society, the town’s cemetery officials, and the UNH lab.

“Marginalized folks, minorities, they don’t necessarily make it into the dominant historical narrative,” Garcia-Putnam said. “I can’t undo all of that, but if I can, it’s one small way to highlight some of these silenced or obscured narratives. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction for a better, more inclusive history.”