{
  "id": 4704232,
  "title": "Timothy Dexter’s William Pitt Statue in Newburyport, Massachusetts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/timothy-dexters-william-pitt-statue-in-newburyport-massachusetts",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-31T20:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Atlas Obscura",
    "slug": "atlas-obscura",
    "url": "https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/timothy-dexters-william-pitt-statue"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Newburyport, Massachusetts is a coastal community with a rich history in shipping, fishing, and tourism. The Museum of Old Newbury, housed in a grand Federal style mansion from the early 1800s, displays many historic artifacts, including a peculiar wooden painted statue of Timothy Dexter, a wealthy businessman known for his eccentric business ventures. Dexter was born in colonial Massachusetts in 1747 to a poor family and moved to Newburyport at age 21, where he married a wealthy widow. Utilizing his newfound wealth, Dexter embarked on various unusual business endeavors, importing items such as bed warmers for the West Indies and whalebones for corset stays. He even sent a shipment of coal to Newcastle, England, in an effort to be the \"first in the East, the first in the West, and the greatest philosopher in the Western World.\" Dexter's eccentricities included pretending his wife had died and faking his own death to see how many people would attend his mock funeral. Despite his odd behavior, he was known for his astute business acumen. Today, the only remaining sculpture of Timothy Dexter is the one of William Pitt the Elder, which stands at the Museum of Old Newbury.",
  "summary": "Newburyport is one of the most well-known and vibrant coastal communities in Massachusetts. Located near the mouth of the Merrimack River and Plum Island, it has a long history of shipping, fishing, tourism, and is officially recognized as the founding location of the US Coast Guard. The Museum of Old Newbury is dedicated to the history of Newburyport, its surrounding communities, and is housed…",
  "key_points": [
    "Timothy Dexter, wealthy businessman, born in colonial Massachusetts in 1747.",
    "Dexter displayed wooden painted statue of William Pitt the Elder in Newburyport museum.",
    "Statue is the only remaining sculpture of Timothy Dexter."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}