Bunker Hill Monument facts for kids

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Bunker Hill Monument
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

Bunker Hill Monument, 2009, Charlestown, Massachusetts
Location in Boston
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Built	1825-43
Architect	Willard, Solomon
Architectural style	Obelisk
Part of	Monument Square Historic District (ID87001128)
NRHP reference No.	66000138
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	January 20, 1961
Designated CP	June 2, 1987

The Bunker Hill Monument is a tall stone tower in Boston, Massachusetts. It stands where the Battle of Bunker Hill took place. This battle was one of the first big fights in the American Revolutionary War. The monument is a 221-foot (67 m) tall granite obelisk, which is a tall, narrow, four-sided shape. It was built between 1825 and 1843.

The granite came from Quincy, a nearby town. It was moved using the special Granite Railway and then by boat. You can climb 294 steps to reach the top of the monument.

Near the monument, there is a lodge building. Inside, you can see a statue of Dr. Joseph Warren. He was a hero who died in the battle. The Bunker Hill Monument is part of the Freedom Trail. It is also part of Boston National Historical Park.

In 2007, the monument was updated. This $3.7 million project fixed things and added new lighting. It also made the monument easier for people with disabilities to visit. The Bunker Hill Museum is across the street. It opened in June 2007 and has many exhibits about the battle.

What is the Bunker Hill Monument?
Where is Breed's Hill?
Why was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
How was the monument built?
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What is the Bunker Hill Monument?

The Bunker Hill Monument is one of the oldest monuments in the United States. It is actually on Breed's Hill, not Bunker Hill. Most of the fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill happened on Breed's Hill. The battle was misnamed!

Before this monument, there was an older memorial. It was an 18-foot (5.5 m) wooden column with a gold urn on top. This was built in 1794 to remember Dr. Joseph Warren. He was a Mason, and the Masons built this first memorial.

The group that built the monument, called the Monument Association, bought the whole battlefield in 1825. But they had to sell most of the land in 1838. They kept only the top of the hill to pay for the monument's completion.

In front of the monument, there is a statue of Colonel William Prescott. He was another hero from Bunker Hill. Some stories say he told his soldiers, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." This famous saying means to wait until the enemy is very close. However, this phrase was already old when the battle happened. Other commanders had used it before.

Where is Breed's Hill?

Breed's Hill is a small hill in the Charlestown area of Boston. It is known for being the main site of the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. This battle happened early in the American Revolutionary War.

The Charlestown area was once a peninsula. It was connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. Over time, the land around it was changed. The Charles River was filled in between Cambridge and Charlestown. Today, many homes are built on Breed's Hill. But the top of the hill is where the Bunker Hill Monument stands.

The hill is about 62 feet (19 m) high. The monument is at the top in Monument Square. The hill slopes steeply on its east and west sides. Besides the historic sites, there are also many homes and shops on the hill. It is about 700 yards (640 m) away from Bunker Hill itself.

Why was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?

The Americans learned that the British planned to build forts on the Charlestown peninsula. So, the Americans decided to get there first. Their goal was to build their own defenses. They hoped this would make the British leave Boston.

On June 16, 1775, American leaders General Putnam and Colonel Prescott led their troops. They went to the Charlestown Peninsula. Their orders were to build defenses on the hills overlooking Boston.

They built a redoubt, which is a small fort, on Breed's Hill. They chose Breed's Hill because it was closer to Boston than Bunker Hill. The next morning, June 17, the British were surprised to see the American forts. They quickly moved to take back the peninsula. The fight became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill. This was because Prescott had originally planned to build the forts on Bunker Hill. Also, some people thought Breed's Hill was part of Bunker Hill.

British soldiers, led by General Howe, sent 2,400 men to attack Breed's Hill. About 1,500 American colonists fought back. They stopped two British attacks. But a third attack by British Royal Marines forced the Americans to retreat. About 450 colonists were killed or wounded. The British had more casualties, with about 1,150 killed or wounded.

In 1825, the Bunker Hill Monument Association started building the monument. They bought 15 acres (6.1 ha) of land for the project.

How was the monument built?

William Ticknor, a lawyer from Boston, first suggested building a memorial. A group of important men met to discuss the idea. They included Daniel Webster and others. On May 10, 1823, the first public meeting was held. Each person gave five dollars. On June 7, 1823, the Bunker Hill Monument Association was formed. They began raising money for the project. A rich man named Amos Lawrence gave $10,000 to help build the monument.

19th-century lodge built near the base of the monument

In the spring of 1825, the directors bought about 15 acres (6.1 ha) on Breed's Hill. But they had not yet chosen a design for the monument. A committee was formed to pick a design. They offered $100 for the best plan. About 50 designs were submitted. They narrowed the choices down to a column or an obelisk. Finally, they chose the obelisk designed by Solomon Willard.

The first stone of the monument was laid on June 17, 1825. The Marquis de Lafayette, a French hero of the Revolutionary War, led the ceremony. Daniel Webster gave a speech. Over 100,000 people attended the event. This included 190 veterans who had fought in the battle.

The large granite blocks for the monument were about two cubic yards (1.5 m³) each. They came from a special quarry. Moving these heavy blocks was slow at first. But then the Granite Railway was finished on October 7, 1826. This was the first commercial railroad in the United States. It helped move the stones much faster.

Building the monument often stopped because money ran out. To finish the project, the Monument Association started selling parts of the battlefield in 1838. They sold about two-thirds of the land (10 acres (4.0 ha)) for house lots. This helped them raise the money they needed. They kept only the top of Breed's Hill for the monument. Some people living nearby were unhappy with the unfinished monument. They even thought about raising money to tear it down. But Sarah Josepha Hale and her magazine readers helped by providing important funds.

The very top stone, called the capstone, was placed on July 23, 1842. The monument was officially dedicated on June 17 of the next year. Daniel Webster gave another speech. Students from the Boston Latin School also helped build the monument.

The Bunker Hill Monument Association took care of the monument until 1919. Then, it was given to the state of Massachusetts. In 1976, the monument became part of the National Park Service. It is now a unit of Boston National Historical Park. The monument was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961. This was because it was an important early war memorial. It was the largest memorial in the nation before the Washington Monument was built. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. In 1987, it became part of the Monument Square Historic District.