It honors George H. Perkins, a New Hampshire native who had served as an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

[4] On November 22 of that year, Isabel Weld Perkins (his daughter) offered New Hampshire Governor Frank W. Rollins, on behalf of the state, a statue of her father as the basis for a public memorial.

[6] Daniel Chester French, a New Hampshire native, was chosen to sculpt the statue,[7] with Henry Bacon serving as the architect for the memorial.

[8] The ceremony began with the choir singing "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past", followed by a prayer given by the Reverend Daniel C. Roberts of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

[14] After this, the band played "America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Bishop William Woodruff Niles of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire gave a benediction.

The statue is situated in a niche within the structure, standing on a granite block that has been shaped to resemble a ship's prow.

In addition to the statue, there are also two bronze tablets located at either end of the exedra which depict scenes from the Battle of Mobile Bay and the Capture of New Orleans.

[7] The Mobile Bay tablet bears the inscription "MOBILE BAY / AUGUST V. MCDDLXIV / AFTER A SEVERE BATTLE WITH THE / CHICKASAW THE / TENNESSEE SURRENDERED", while the New Orleans tablet says "APRIL XXIV MDCCCLXII / IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER / BELOW FORT ST PHILIP THE / CAYUGA DEFEATED THREE REBEL / GUNBOATS INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR / MOORE AND THE RAM MANASSAS".

[17] Beneath the statue is the following inscription:[19] GEORGE HAMILTON PERKINS / COMMODORE UNITED STATES NAVY / BORN AT HOPKINTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, OCTOBER 20, 1835 / DIED AT BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, OCTOBER 28, 1899 / ENTERED THE NAVY AS MIDSHIPMAN OCTOBER 1, 1851 AND / SERVED HIS COUNTRY WITH HONOR FORTY EIGHT YEARS / GENIAL AND LOVABLE AS A MAN - ABLE AND RESOURCEFUL AS AN / OFFICER - GALLANT AND INSPIRING AS A LEADER - HIS INTREPID CONDUCT / AT THE PASSAGE OF THE FORTS BELOW NEW ORLEANS - HIS HEROISM AT / THE SURRENDER OF THAT CITY - HIS SKILL AND DARING ON NOTABLE / OCCASIONS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND IN THE GULF OF MEXICO - HIS / ACHIEVEMENTS IN MOBILE BAY WHEN AS COMMANDER OF THE CHICKASAW / HE COMPELLED THE SURRENDER OF THE TENNESSEE WON FROM THE NAVY / UNQUALIFIED ADMIRATION AND FROM FARRAGUT THESE WORDS / "THE BRAVEST MAN THAT EVER TROD THE DECK OF A SHIP"Additionally, the following inscription is located in front of the statue:[20] FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP / APRIL 24, 1862 / CAPTURE OF THE GOV.