National Monument to the Forefathers

Coordinates: 41°57′36″N 70°40′34″W / 41.96000°N 70.67611°W / 41.96000; -70.67611
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the 1889 monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts, previously called the Pilgrim Monument. For the 1910 Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, see Pilgrim Monument.
National Monument to the Forefathers
National Monument to the Forefathers, 2005
LocationAllerton St.
Plymouth, Massachusetts
BuiltAugust 1, 1889
NRHP reference No.74002033
Added to NRHPAugust 30, 1974

The National Monument to the Forefathers, formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument,

Pilgrims. Dedicated on August 1, 1889, it honors their ideals as later generally embraced by the United States. It is thought to be the world's largest solid granite monument.[2]

Overview

Located at 72 Allerton Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the 81-foot-tall (25 m) monument was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society. The original concept dates to around 1820, with actual planning beginning in 1850. The cornerstone was laid August 2, 1859 by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, under the direction of Grand Master John T. Heard. The monument was completed in October 1888, and was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on August 1, 1889.[3]

Hammatt Billings, Boston architect, illustrator and sculptor, originally conceived the monument as a 150-foot-tall (46 m) structure comparable to the

Governor William Bradford's famous history, Of Plymouth Plantation
:

Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all praise.

The overall scheme was designed by architect Hammatt Billings. The 36-foot figure of Faith was based on a 9-foot plaster model by William Rimmer in 1875,[6] that was enlarged and altered by Joseph Edward Billings and a sculptor named Perry (probably John D. Perry). The subsidiary statues were executed by area sculptors including Alexander Doyle, Carl Conrads, and James H. Mahoney.[7]

National Register

The monument was listed on the

National Monument" as understood today from the Antiquities Act of 1906
.

Film

Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure, a 2012 documentary hosted by Kirk Cameron, features the history of the monument and the values of those it commemorates.[9]

Images

  • The Monument at sunset, 2007
    The Monument at sunset, 2007
  • Monument and the surrounding park
    Monument and the surrounding park
  • Detail of statue of Faith
    Detail of statue of Faith

Seated Figures

  • Morality
    Morality
  • Law
    Law
  • Education
    Education
  • Liberty
    Liberty

Panels on Monument

  • Detail of front panel
    Detail of front panel
  • Passengers of the Mayflower (part 1)
    Passengers of the Mayflower (part 1)
  • Passengers of the Mayflower (part 2)
    Passengers of the Mayflower (part 2)
  • Detail of William Bradford quote
    Detail of William Bradford quote

See also

References

  1. ^ Toomey, Daniel P. (1892). Massachusetts of To-day. Columbia publishing company. p. 2.
  2. ^ Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Planning and Engineering, Resource Management Planning Program, September 2006. "Resource Management Plan: National Monument to the Forefathers, Plymouth, Massachusetts", p 1. Accessed 8 October 2012.
  3. ^ Plymouth Guide. "Forefathers Monument". Archived from the original on May 11, 2006. Retrieved May 16, 2006.
  4. ^ Michael Shepherd. "Hallowell to Celebrate a Long Forgotten Past Saturday". Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  5. ^ Billings, Hammatt; Billings, Joseph; Rimmer, William; Perry, John D.; Doyle, Alexander; Conrad, Karl; Mahoney, James H. (24 October 2017). "National Monument to the Forefathers" – via siris-artinventories.si.edu Library Catalog.
  6. ^ Armstrong, Craven et al, ‘’200 Years of American Sculpture’’, David R. Godine, Publisher in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 1976 p. 302
  7. JSTOR 990993
    .
  8. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. "Resource Management Plan, National Monument to the Forefathers". Archived from the original
    on September 29, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2006.
  9. ^ Kirk Cameron (2012), Monumental - In Search of America's National Treasure, retrieved 2012-03-28

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Monument to the Forefathers.

41°57′36″N 70°40′34″W / 41.96000°N 70.67611°W / 41.96000; -70.67611

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