Often mistaken for a male witch, this statue in front of the Salem Witch Museum is of the city founder Roger Conant. This 9 foot tall bronze statue sits next to the Salem Common at the intersection of Brown St. and Washington Square and was erected in 1913. It was fashioned by sculptor Henry Kitson on behalf of the Conant Family Association. The 60 ton boulder he stands on was shipped from Page Farm near Floating Bridge in Lynn. As no image of Roger Conant has survived, Kitson fashioned a Puritan male figure, with broad-rimmed hat and a flowing cape who is grasping the trunk of an oak tree. Conant left a strong legacy in Salem and was known as the "Old Planter." On the sculpture, the left side of bronze base: Copyrighted Henry H. Kitson 1911. On plaque, front of base: Roger Conant. Born 1592-died 1679. The statue was restored in 2005 after a successful local campaign to raise money to clean the bronze statue of its stains from acid rain and pollution. The $30,000 restoration was done by Rika Smith McNally. The group involved with fund-raising was the Salem Common Neighborhood Association.
