Roadside Graffiti in Newbury, New Hampshire, Mysteriously Repainted Many Times Since the 70’s

If you’ve ever found yourself driving on Route 103 heading up to Sunapee for a little Summer swimming or Winter skiing, you have most likely driven by a piece of New Hampshire history and you mostly likely thought to yourself, “what the heck does that mean?”

Newbury, New Hampshire, is a small town with a population of a little over 2,000 people but this rock is one that is familiar to hundreds and thousands of people, from New Hampshire and beyond. According to NHPR, this graffiti has inspired additional art! There’s been a movie made about it, poems written, sermons given, songs and bumper stickers. Newbury also hosts “the chicken farmer 5K race” every Summer. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a race held in their little town named after the chicken farmer.

So who exactly was this Chicken Farmer?

According to Atlas Obscura, local legend has it the original message: “Chicken Farmer, I love you.” was written on the rock sometime in the late 1980s (some reports claim as early as the 1970s) by a shy teenage boy. He apparently had the hots for a young schoolgirl who lived on the small chicken farm across the street from the jutting rock. He was reluctant to approach the girl in person so he settled for a less personal but more public display of affection; confessing his feelings on the rock for all the town to see. The awkwardly hand-painted proclamation of love remained on the rock for many years. Aside from some weather it remained, for the most part, unscathed. 

One night in the early 2000’s the sign was repainted to the current message by an unknown hand. On occasion someone would clear away the brush blocking the sign from view and the letters would be spruced up again. The sign became a local institution and was cared for like any other landmark so that it could continue being enjoyed by passers-by.

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Why did the graffiti briefly disappear in 2011?

The site states In April of 2011 some busybody ended up lodging a complaint about the graffiti. The rock was painted over by a member of the Department of Transportation in a fit of responsive customer service. The painted-over space didn’t remain empty for long. A newly repainted Chicken Farmer message reappeared alongside Route 103 once again. There the words of long lost love remain to this day and in perpetuity thanks to a petition organized by townsfolk intent on keeping this odd little piece of local folklore intact.

I am going to ask the question I think we are all wondering…did the chicken farmer ever give the shy teenage boy the time of day? Let’s face it, he was a romantic! If she didn’t appreciate this heartfelt gesture, her loss honestly!

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