Bunker Hill Monument

Your Guide
Gabrielle Weiss
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Situated at the top of Breed’s Hill, the Bunker Hill Monument stands as a memorial to the soldiers that died in the first large-scale battle of the American Revolution. Originally built as a wooden monument in 1794, the current 221-foot obelisk was completed in 1823.

Inside the neighboring neoclassical building stands a statue of General Joseph Warren, who died in the battle. Stairs lead up to the monument from all four sides of the square, each marked with a "gateway" stone, one for each of the colonies that sent troops to fight in the battle: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Each stone records some history of the battle and the Revolution.

The design of the square and monument grounds was influenced over the years mainly by the Olmsted Brothers Firm and later by Arthur Shurcliff in his capacity as the landscape architect for the City of Boston. Renovations were completed in 2007, including a ramp that make the grounds surrounding the monument fully accessible.

From the top of the hill, the Leonard P. Zakim Bridge is visible; its towers echoing the obelisk of the Bunker Hill Monument. If you have the energy, the climb to the top will reward you with views of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and the Boston Harbor.

 A spur on the Freedom Trail, linking many of the major Revolutionary war sites in Boston, the monument can be reached by walking from North Station or Community College train stations, or by taking the number 93 bus from either Sullivan Square Station or Haymarket Station.

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