Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument is located in the Monument Square area of Charlestown (since 1874, part of Boston) in Massachusetts, United States. It is built atop a Continental Army fortification on the summit of Breed's Hill, where the Battle of Bunker Hill took place in 1775, during the American Revolutionary War. surrounded by an avenue also named Monument Square. An iron fence runs along Monument Square Park's perimeter, and five granite markers, dating from 1876, denote the locations of key events in the Battle of Bunker Hill. At the top of each staircase, concrete walkways connect with the obelisk at the monument's center. sequentially, it is the last stop after the . Breed's Hill is a glacial drumlin in the southern portion of the Charlestown Peninsula, created 12,000 years ago by retreating glaciers. After the area was colonized by the English in 1625, The hill was originally connected to the mainland portion of Charlestown (now the separate city of Somerville) in colonial times by a short, narrow isthmus known as the Charlestown Neck. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the peninsula's shape and connections to other landforms were significantly altered, with the waters of the Charles River between Cambridge and Charlestown heavily filled in. The portion of the hill within Monument Square Park slopes fairly steeply. The buildings along the avenue surrounding Monument Square are mostly three-to-four-story houses, designed in the Greek Revival, Italianate, and Second Empire styles starting in the 1840s. The Charlestown High School and the former Charlestown Library are also located on the avenue. The designs of these buildings are influenced by deed restrictions, including a mandatory setback from the street, intended to preserve the area's character. The Bunker Hill Museum, preserving artifacts from the battle, is located within the Charlestown Library. Bunker Hill is slightly higher than Breed's Hill, at , sources sometimes considered Breed's Hill part of Bunker Hill. Approximately to the southeast is the Charlestown Navy Yard. == Description ==

The obelisk, entrance building, and Prescott statue are located at the center of Monument Square Park. An iron fence surrounds the base of the obelisk itself, running between granite piers diagonally opposite each of the obelisk's corners. The fence has posts topped by caps and finials, and the cross-bars have Greek crosses at the bottom and inverted scallop designs at the top. made of of granite. It occupies the southeastern corner of the redoubt constructed during the Battle of Bunker Hill. The obelisk rises from its base; this was the maximum height its sponsor, the Bunker Hill Monument Association, could afford. Exterior The foundation, measuring deep and across, The shaft's granite is laid horizontally into 78 courses, each measuring tall. A spiral staircase ascends through the shaft, The staircase wraps around a hollow central cone, also known as the newel, Historian and engineer E. H. Cameron wrote in 1953 that the cone's presence left insufficient space for an elevator, Two cannons salvaged from the battle were displayed in the room in the 19th and early 20th centuries; one of them was later moved to the entrance building, while the other was moved to the Minute Man National Historical Park. Bunker Hill Lodge The entrance building, known as the Bunker Hill Lodge, is made of granite blocks and dates from 1902. measuring across and tall. The facade is made of gray Deer Isle granite. The eastern elevation has an Ionic-style portico, which supports a pediment with a carved lintel. The vestibule's floor is made of multicolored marble mosaic tiles arranged into various patterns, while its plaster vaulted ceiling has a central octagonal medallion. The rotunda is at the northwestern corner Henry Dexter's large statue of Warren, built for an earlier entrance building in 1857, Prescott statue The bronze William Prescott statue, south of the obelisk, was sculpted by William Wetmore Story in 1880–1881. The sculpture is raised on a granite pedestal with the inscription "Colonel William Prescott; June 17, 1775". This pedestal also contains other panels, which are left blank. The sculpture itself stands about Prescott is sometimes credited with having first said this phrase during this battle; the phrase is variously also attributed to Israel Putnam, John Stark, or Richard Gridley, though in actuality, none of them originated it. The statue also has a broad-brimmed hat and a loose coat, and there are a shovel and pickaxe near its feet. ==Development==

Background Battle In June 1775, American patriots, having caught word of a British plan to fortify the Charlestown peninsula, decided to fortify it before the British could. On June 16, under the leadership of General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott, the Americans stole out onto the Charlestown Peninsula to establish defensive positions on the hills overlooking Boston. Prescott originally intended to build a redoubt, or defensive fortification, on Bunker Hill, but the redoubt was instead constructed on the nearby Breed's Hill, which was lower and was closer to Boston. Early on June 17, the British discovered the fortifications and set out to reclaim the peninsula. British soldiers under General William Howe sent troops to attack Breed's Hill; colonists held off the first two British attacks, but the third attack forced the rebels to retreat.The British won at great cost, having lost a significant amount of the officer corps stationed in America. On the American side, 450 were killed or wounded,) The British recorded more than twice as many casualties, at 1,054. The dead were buried where they lay. While many corpses were reclaimed by families of the deceased, The British strengthened the fortifications on the hill before evacuating Boston in March 1776. The site of the Bunker Hill Monument was likely owned by Sarah Russell and several other landowners. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts constructed the first monument commemorating the battle to honor Warren, who had been one of their members. It was an wooden column designed in the Tuscan order, standing on a brick pedestal measuring tall and across. This pillar, which stood near where Warren was believed to have died, The Warren memorial remained in place until 1825.) rekindled interest in the topic. Origins, early fundraising, and land acquisition The Bunker Hill battlefield was placed for sale at an auction in April 1822. This attracted the notice of the businessman William Tudor, who is often credited with devising the idea for the monument. Subsequently, several men—including Warren, Tudor, Daniel Webster, George Ticknor, William Sullivan, and George Blake—met at the house of Thomas Handasyd Perkins to discuss plans for a monument. On May 10, 1823, the group called their first meeting at Boston's Merchants Exchange. Eustis's immediate predecessor, John Brooks, was the organization's first president. Only men could become members; women were not given membership until 1936. During its inaugural year, the BHMA mainly focused on administrative matters, The new organization also collected Revolutionary-era artifacts, particularly those related to the Battle of Bunker Hill; in so doing, they obtained the Washington Benevolent Society's entire collection. The BHMA began soliciting donations from the public in mid-1824. and the BHMA distributed flyers throughout New England, asking for donations. In July 1824, the BHMA appointed a group to oversee preparations for a cornerstone-laying ceremony. The association invited the Marquis de Lafayette (who was touring the United States for the war's 50th anniversary) to the monument site that August. He agreed to donate funds and speak at the cornerstone-laying ceremony; his involvement, along with regular newspaper reports on the progress of the fundraiser, increased public interest in the monument. In a letter that October, the BHMA's directors suggested that $75,000 be raised. Early in 1825, Eustis suggested to the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature, that the state government take over the obelisk following its completion. These suggestions were discarded when he died shortly afterward. In February 1825, the General Court authorized the BHMA to acquire up to $10,000 of stone hammered at the state prison. The same legislation also allowed the organization to acquire up to on Breed's Hill. This area was soon acquired from ten landowners at approximately ; it did not include any of the Breed family's former holdings. Each landowner agreed to sell the BHMA their land at its appraised value, but one of the landowners subsequently demanded ten times the appraised amount of his site. To avoid delays, the association agreed to pay the inflated price. About 2,500 donors had given between $5 and $500 each by April 1825. Design and cornerstone laying The BHMA wanted a structure with a design connoting heroism. The BHMA resolved to raise $37,000 for the construction of Willard's design, which Dearborn wrongly believed would be taller than any other commemorative column worldwide. and Willard withdrew his plans. The committee offered $100 for the best design. It received 50 formal submissions Several plans were submitted after the April 1 deadline, including alternatives such as a Gothic church, but were not considered. Robert Mills and Horatio Greenough also submitted designs for obelisks. Greenough's design consisted of an obelisk with statuary at the base and plain surfaces elsewhere, while Mills's design was more ornate. At the time, obelisks were frequently used at graves, The BHMA committee, in late April, suggested that Greenough receive the $100 award. having considered an obelisk more imposing and appropriate for the site. while Willard claimed that an obelisk would cost only $37,000. when Baldwin recommended a plan costing $100,000. Baldwin's design deviated from Greenough's original proposal, which had called for a obelisk atop an elevated platform, with buttresses at the corner. The BHMA also considered installing statues of soldiers who fought at Bunker Hill but ultimately decided against it. Meanwhile, the BHMA procured a cornerstone with inscriptions and artifacts relating to the battle. The organization also wanted to invite as many Revolutionary War veterans as possible. The cornerstone was laid on June 17, 1825, the battle's 50th anniversary, at the center of the proposed site. More than 100,000 attended the event, The attendees included 190 Revolutionary War veterans, hailing from across Massachusetts and the Eastern United States. They marched from the Massachusetts State House to Breed's Hill, where Daniel Webster addressed the audience; he sold the copyright to his speech for $600 to help fund construction. The artifacts were later moved to a new cornerstone at the obelisk's northeastern corner. Obelisk construction Initial progress A group of five men, including Baldwin, were appointed to a construction committee on July 12, 1825. By that September, the BHMA had raised $54,433.07—more than half the $100,000 construction cost—and its directors voted to begin construction. Baldwin resigned not long afterward, Willard refused to be paid more than a small salary, and he also agreed to donate $1,000 for the obelisk's construction. James S. Savage was hired to construct the monument. The BHMA had raised $64,010.55 before construction started. Before construction formally commenced, Willard visited various quarries to examine granite, reportedly walking in doing so. In November 1825, workers began landscaping the site, The BHMA paid Gridley Bryant $325 for the right to quarry the granite it could spend , while a typical quarry would have charged . To save additional money, the BHMA used larger granite blocks, which required fewer stones. The foundation was being constructed by 1826. The Granite Railway—a broad-gauge, horse-drawn railway from Quincy—was constructed to transport the granite blocks. a contract to transport the granite was not signed until early 1827. Since the Granite Railway ran only to the Neponset River waterfront in Quincy, To carry the blocks up approximately , an inclined railway was built in Charlestown, ascending to the obelisk's southeastern corner. Within one year, the Granite Railway had transported of granite. The repeated transfers damaged the blocks and caused delays, Monetary issues and delays Twice during construction, the BHMA ran out of money to complete the obelisk; consequently, construction was suspended for a combined ten years. The first time was in 1828, The association reserved a plot around the obelisk and placed a mortgage on the remaining, non-reserved land. In January 1829, work was suspended after the loans were depleted. The BHMA unsuccessfully asked the General Court for permission to raise money through a lottery. The group also solicited subscriptions from Boston residents The association also made personal appeals to numerous wealthy Bostonians, to little avail, while donations from the general public had slowed considerably. In April 1833, the philanthropist Amos Lawrence appealed to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association for funds, but nothing came of this proposal, despite sizable support for it. By that year, the association's debts totaled $30,000. The association planned to sell the plots around the obelisk, and it formed a committee, which suggested reducing the obelisk's height to save money. That June, the BHMA agreed to sell off the non-reserved land, anticipating that it could raise $25,000 by selling off . The land was thus split into 115 lots. The association also agreed to shorten the obelisk to , and its officers rehired Willard in June 1834 to oversee the design. Work continued until November 1835, when funding shortages stopped construction again. In 1838, the BHMA further reduced the north–south length of its reserved area from , bringing the site to about . Completion In 1839, Lawrence and Judah Touro each pledged $10,000 to match local contributions to spur the monument's completion. The terms of the men's gifts required private donors to raise an additional $25,000 or $30,000. A subscription drive to raise the necessary funds was not carried out. Several women, including ''Ladies' Magazine'' editor Sarah Josepha Hale, formed a committee to organize the fundraiser, setting up the Ladies' Fair at Quincy Market in Downtown Boston. The fair ran for seven days in September 1840, coinciding with a Whig Party convention. models of the monument, and kisses from the socialite Eliza Henderson Boardman Otis. These profits were combined with additional funds from Lawrence, Touro, and private donors, James S. Savage was hired to complete the construction, and work resumed in May 1841. Savage devised a steam-powered derrick with a specialized movable boom, which hoisted the granite blocks to the shaft's upper levels; this significantly expedited construction. when a crowd watched a derrick raise the capstone to the top for 16 minutes. The monument was dedicated on June 17, 1843, again with an oration by Daniel Webster and a large parade. and Tyler attended with his cabinet and 13 battle survivors. A replica of the original Warren monument was dedicated at the obelisk the following week, June 24. == Management and operational history ==

BHMA operation When the monument opened, the BHMA charged admission for the climb, but many visitors hesitated to pay the fee. The monument hosted Bunker Hill Day commemorations on June 17 each year, a day known as the "glorious seventeenth". Bunker Hill Day, originally a solemn commemoration, evolved over time into a festive event. Over the next century, the association's members included 6 Harvard University presidents, 12 U.S. presidents, 20 Boston mayors, and a myriad of Massachusetts governors and military personnel. William S. Park completed the plans, which were then delayed for lack of funding. Landscaping continued for years after the obelisk's official dedication. The new landscaping included a brick sidewalk, fence, and trees at Monument Square's perimeter, along with eight entrances and two concentric walkways in the park. these inscriptions had been part of early plans, but the BHMA felt the inscriptions would detract from the obelisk's symbolism. Henry Dexter was commissioned to design a sculpture of Joseph Warren in 1850. A wooden flagpole mast was mounted from the top of the obelisk in 1861. replaced the next year by a freestanding flagpole northeast of the obelisk. During the early 1870s, the BHMA undertook landscape upgrades to the site. The association removed the freestanding flagpole in 1874, The BHMA subsequently commissioned granite markers in 1876, commemorating important events in the battle, an offer the BHMA accepted that June. The association hired William Wetmore Story to design the statue, which was dedicated on the battle's 106th anniversary, June 17, 1881. A wire fence was built around the obelisk's platform in 1889. That year, the Boston Common Council passed legislation requesting that Boston's mayor ask Massachusetts's governor to take over the monument. Massachusetts state representative James E. Hayes proposed in 1893 that the state take over the monument and park. At the time, the obelisk was still in good shape, and the BHMA spent $7,000 annually on maintenance. State legislators rejected the state-takeover proposal in 1897. A local group proposed installing exterior lights near the top of the obelisk in 1900, but this was not carried out, as the BHMA did not want to pay for the lighting. In June 1901, the BHMA voted to build the current granite entrance building at the obelisk's base, and the original wooden building was demolished the same year. Early the next year, a state legislator proposed taking over the monument's operation, but this legislation failed. While the BHMA's expenses could no longer be funded through ticket revenue alone, it still wished to keep operating the monument. The new entrance building displayed portraits of BHMA presidents until 1907, when they were removed in favor of artifacts relating to the battle itself. During the early 20th century, the BHMA's expenses continued to rise, while the site fell into disrepair. The monument's flags were removed in either 1910 By the 1910s, the monument recorded more than 30,000 annual visitors, though substantially fewer people actually paid the fee to enter. During that decade, the BHMA continued to lose money, even after receiving large donations from several members. Governor Calvin Coolidge signed legislation in April 1919 allowing such a takeover to occur, and the BHMA voted in June to turn over operations to the state government. The monument and park were deeded to the government of Massachusetts the next month. establishing the Bunker Hill Reservation, which encompassed Monument Square Park. and operated it year-round except on Christmas. These artifacts were lent to the MDC, which displayed them at the Bunker Hill Lodge. After the MDC proposed in early 1920 that $35,000 be set aside for repairs, steeplejacks repointed the masonry that year. Two years later, the Massachusetts House of Representatives proposed further funds for repairs, and utilities were upgraded. The state legislature proposed in 1926 that the obelisk be illuminated at night. By the late 1920s, state representative Charles S. Sullivan claimed the monument was being neglected. Although the federal Civilian Conservation Corps upgraded many MDC parks during the Great Depression, the corps did not perform work on the Bunker Hill Monument. During World War II, to prevent enemy forces from sabotaging the nearby Charlestown Navy Yard, visitors were banned from using cameras or scopes. The obelisk was temporarily closed from 1942 onward, although the entrance building continued operating. The agency installed a Battle of Bunker Hill diorama in the entrance building during 1947–1951. finding that the obelisk, grounds, and entrance building had fallen into disrepair due to poor maintenance. Despite the presence of two policemen during the day, the monument was often vandalized. Visitors etched their names in the observatory atop the obelisk, where there was minimal surveillance, and the Prescott statue's sword was defaced so frequently that it was withdrawn from public display. rehabilitation efforts began in 1958. workers had not been able to completely remove stains and scratches. and, to prevent nighttime vandalism, the MDC constructed a steel cage between the entrance building and the obelisk the next year. Also in the 1960s, one of the monument's cannons was removed for safekeeping and stored in a nearby police station; it was later reinstalled in Minute Man National Historical Park. Spotlights were added in the 1970s, though they did not illuminate the whole monument at night. Amid continuing maintenance issues, there were efforts in the mid-1960s to have the federal government take over the Bunker Hill Monument, which the BHMA endorsed. The MDC voted in 1968 to allow the federal government to take over the monument as a national historic site. The actual transfer process took several years, The MDC notified U.S. senator Ted Kennedy in 1972 that it had no objections to the National Park Service (NPS) taking over the site. The monument became part of the newly-established Boston National Historical Park in 1974, though it remained under MDC control for two more years. During that period, the MDC and federal government jointly funded site improvements for the Bicentennial, While the agency did not charge any admission fee, When the NPS took over, the monument had 150,000 annual visitors, and the Charlestown Historical Society ran a free-admission museum about the battle nearby. 1970s to 1990s When the NPS took over, the site had again deteriorated, and the obelisk had broken granite and failing masonry joints. Modifications over the years, were inconsistent with the original design. In addition, drainage and lighting systems were upgraded. His study, split up into several phases, uncovered numerous artifacts, of which only one object (a spoon) was deemed to have intrinsic value. Visitation declined in the 1980s as tourists increasingly sought out other destinations such as Faneuil Hall and Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Two flagpoles were added to the obelisk in 1993, and American flags were hoisted atop them, marking the first time that flags were flown there since the early 20th century. The NPS completed a $100,000 renovation of the grounds in the mid-1990s, which involved conducting an archeological study of the battlefield. 2000s to present By the 2000s, the obelisk had 170,000 to 200,000 annual visitors. the NPS announced in 2003 that it would renovate the monument and construct a museum for $3.1 million. The Massachusetts Grand Lodge provided another $500,000 for the project. By then, the monument had poor ventilation and often leaked; it was excessively hot during the summer and had to be closed during the winter. and the entrance building had insufficient space for exhibits. which included repairs, accessibility upgrades, and new lighting. were installed along the obelisk's entire height. and the Bunker Hill Museum was dedicated in the Charlestown Library that June. Most artifacts from the entrance building were moved to the museum, Visitors climbing the obelisk during certain parts of the year had to obtain passes from the museum. Several documents pertaining to the monument were sold at auction in 2019 and again in 2021. during which the NPS displayed a live camera feed of Boston from atop the monument. In 2021, masons began repointing the pyramidion and the top ten courses of the shaft as part of a two-year project. A restoration of the entrance building was completed in 2022, and the NPS began making further repairs to the masonry the next year for $1.4 million. For the battle's 250th anniversary in 2025, flags were again flown atop the obelisk for three months, and the cornerstone ceremony was reenacted that June. ==Impact and legacy==

Reception and influence Until the Washington Monument was completed in 1885, the Bunker Hill Monument was the United States' largest obelisk. The Associated Press wrote that the obelisk had been the U.S.'s "first significant commemorative structure", and The Art Bulletin described it as the nation's oldest such obelisk. The war monument in High Point, New Jersey, built in 1930, was patterned after the Bunker Hill Monument. The obelisk's pyramidion inspired a similar feature atop the Griswold Monument in Connecticut, which was built without a pyramidion but was retrofitted with one in 1881. After the Bunker Hill Monument was completed, granite was more widely used in buildings across the U.S. The San Francisco Chronicle called the Bunker Hill Monument, Washington Monument, and Statue of Liberty "the three most glorious of all the monuments on the Western Hemisphere", and a Boston Daily Globe writer characterized a visit to the monument as a patriotic duty for Americans visiting Boston. Although the monument's creators had been affiliated with the Federalist Party, it later became a local symbol of the Whig party and democracy in general, The monument also stood out from the Boston skyline. One writer said that, until the 1910s, the obelisk and the gold-domed Massachusetts State House were "the two commanding objects in Boston". In 1947, a writer for Better Homes and Gardens wrote that the monument still commanded a "splendid view", even if the structure itself was "disappointing". Red Book magazine wrote in 1968 that the monument still stood "tall and majestic", and another commentator in 1980 called the Bunker Hill Monument and the Charlestown Navy Yard's USS Constitution "two of the most delightful stops on the [Freedom] Trail". In 2013, The New York Times wrote that the Bunker Hill Monument was an exception to Boston's general lack of "outsize monuments". The Times wrote in 2016 that, despite being imposing, the monument did not "instantly convey 'Boston' to a global audience" as places like the Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building, or Empire State Building did for New York. There has also been commentary about the obelisk's staircase. One commentator in 1925 described climbing the stair as an arduous affair that required training. Another said in 1987, "I almost would rather have fought the Battle of Bunker Hill than climbed the gray stone monument dedicated to it." The NHL designation was granted in part for the obelisk's role as a major early war memorial and in part because the site itself had historical significance. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1966, when the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 went into effect. The NRHP nomination form cited the site's military significance. which was designated in 1974. The monument and park are also part of the Monument Square Historic District, designated in 1987 partly for its architectural character. Media Lydia Sigourney's poem "Bunker-Hill Monument" was published in her Scenes in my Native Land (1845) together with a description of both the monument and the battle. In her 1871 poetry collection New-England Legends, Harriet Prescott Spofford wrote a sketch about the monument and other sites in Charlestown. The monument has also been the subject of nonfiction work, such as several editions of Richard Frothingham Jr.'s 1849 book on the Battle of Bunker Hill, an 1877 book by former BHMA president George Washington Warren, and a 1953 book by E. H. Cameron. A model of it is also shown alongside a sculpture of Sarah Josepha Hale in Newport, New Hampshire. The obelisk appears as a setting in the 2015 video game Fallout 4. The exterior of the obelisk has been used for artwork, such as a piece by Krzysztof Wodiczko hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1998, where interviews with Charlestown murder victims' family members were projected onto the monument. ==See also==