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Survey of
Historic Sites and Buildings

	BUNKER HILL MONUMENT (part of Boston National Historical Park) Massachusetts
Location: Breed's Hill, Charlestown. Boston National Historical Park

Ownership and Administration (1961). Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Metropolitan District Commission, 20 Somerset Street, Boston.

Bunker Hill Monument. (National Park Service)

Significance. The Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on nearby Breed's Hill, June 17, 1775. It was the first full-scale action between American militia and British regulars following the running fight at Lexington and Concord, 2 months earlier. The raw American Army was driven from its position after repulsing two assaults, although the costly British victory did not alter the situation for the besieged redcoats. The battle convinced the British command that defeating the rebellious colonists would not be an easy task, however, and in later years the American defeat was translated into virtual victory by the folklore that sprang from the fight. Actually, the struggle for Breed's Hill had a harmful effect in creating the myth that raw militia, suffused with patriotism, could always take the measure of professional troops. Indecisive as it was, the battle has remained in the American tradition as one of the key episodes of the Revolution.

Present Appearance (1961). The present monument marks the approximate center of the American redoubt on Breed's Hill and is surrounded by a 4-acre park in a residential section of Charlestown. The monument itself possesses considerable interest as an example of early historical monumentation. The Bunker Hill Monument Association was organized in 1823, a year after 3 acres of the battlefield had been purchased to keep it open. In 1825 an additional 15 acres was purchased. When the association ran short of funds, however, most of this land was sold in 1834 and the proceeds applied to completing the 220-foot obelisk. The cornerstone of the monument was laid in 1825, the 50th anniversary of the battle, although construction was not completed until 1842. A statute of Col. William Prescott, commander of the American troops on Breed's Hill, stands at the base of the monument. A small museum is open to visitors. The monument is much in need of rehabilitation and development, particularly in regard to its interpretation of the battle story. [17]