Pilgrim Monument: Difference between revisions

Pilgrim Monument
	View of the Pilgrim Monument with the Signing of the Mayflower Compact by Cyrus Dallin below, as seen from Bradford Street.
	42°03′08″N 70°11′21″W / 42.052226°N 70.1892015°W
Location	High Pole Hill Road, Provincetown, Massachusetts
Designer	Willard T. Sears
Type	Campanile
Material	Granite
Height	252 feet 7+1⁄2 inches (77 m);; Rises 350 ft (107 m) above sea level
Beginning date	June 20, 1907
Opening date	August 5, 1910
Dedicated to	The first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620, and the signing in Provincetown Harbor of the Mayflower Compact.
Website	www.pilgrim-monument.org
	This is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States.

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The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing of the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor.^[1] This 252-foot-7+1⁄2-inch-tall (77.0 m) campanile is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States^[2] and is part of the Provincetown Historic District.

History

In 1620, the Pilgrims spent five weeks exploring Cape Cod before they sailed to Plymouth, Massachusetts. After spending weeks at sea, the Pilgrims resolved not to set foot on land until the Mayflower Compact was written and signed.^{[citation needed]} A contest was held to design a structure to commemorate the Pilgrims' landing, and over 150 entries were submitted.^[3] The winning design, by Boston architect Willard T. Sears, was based upon the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy, designed by Agostino and Agnolo da Siena in 1309.

In a ceremony on August 20, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt officiated at the laying of the cornerstone. After the monument's completion, President William H. Taft dedicated it at a ceremony held on August 5, 1910.^[1]

The design was controversial because of its lack of any obvious relevance to the Pilgrim Fathers.^[3] One Boston architect derided it, saying "If all they want is an architectural curiosity, then why not select the Leaning Tower of Pisa and be done with it?"^[4] It was also noted that Boston itself already had a copy of the same tower: Boston's fire tower. The fire tower is made of brick like the Italian original, was built in 1892 by Edmund March Wheelwright, is 156 feet (48 m) tall, was originally designed as part of the central fire station and used as a fire lookout, and later became part of the Pine Street Inn, a shelter for Boston's homeless.^[3]^[5]^[6]

However, The Boston Globe noted that "The people of Provincetown are not at all enthusiastic about the design, but are glad enough to get almost any sort of monument," and quoted "an old sea captain" as saying: "I don't sympathize with all the kicking about the monument. It's good enough, and it has this in its favor, that it resembles many lighthouses on the coast of Portugal and on Portuguese Islands, and Provincetown, you know, is full of Portuguese."^[7]

Tourists from around the world visit Provincetown to climb the monument and view the Provincetown Museum at its base.^[2] The monument commemorates the Pilgrims, and the museum pays tribute to Provincetown's vibrant and historic maritime past. Provincetown residents take great pride in the structure.^[2] Christmas lights are strung from the top of the monument to its base annually and are lit in November to much fanfare.^[8] It remains lit nightly into January.

According to Edmund J. Carpenter in his book The Pilgrims and their Monument (self-published in 1911), the total expenditures in the planning and construction of the monument were $91,252.82,^[9] equivalent to $2,984,000 in 2023.^[10]

Gallery

Interior of the monument showing the ramps used to reach the top
Monument in 1910
View of structure housing Signing of the Mayflower Compact
Signing of the Mayflower Compact by Cyrus Dallin

References

^ ^a ^b "Pilgrim Monument Overview & FAQ". Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c "About the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown Massachusetts". Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bilis, Madeline (2014-11-13). "Throwback Thursday: How Two Massachusetts Towers Became Twins". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
^ "Call It Copy of Torre Del Mangia," The Boston Daily Globe, January 27, 1907, p. 7
^ Ralli, Tania (2005), "And Now A Word From Our Shelter: Ads Atop Pine Street Inn Help Pay To Restore It, But Some Ask Where It Will End", The Boston Globe, October 9, 2005, p. 1
^ Pine Street Inn (Boston) - Wikimapia
^ "Most Imposing Monument On The Atlantic Coast," The Boston Globe, August 18, 1907, p. SM12
^ "Provincetown Pilgrim Monument Lighting, Celebrating the Pilgrims Landing". 2018-09-20. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
^ Carpenter, Edmund J., The Pilgrims and their Monument (Cambridge, MA: Privately printed, 1911), 265.
^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

External links

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

[FAQ-1] "Pilgrim Monument Overview & FAQ". Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.

[about-2] "About the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown Massachusetts". Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum. Retrieved 2018-09-19.

[twins-3] Bilis, Madeline (2014-11-13). "Throwback Thursday: How Two Massachusetts Towers Became Twins". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2018-09-19.

[globe1-4] "Call It Copy of Torre Del Mangia," The Boston Daily Globe, January 27, 1907, p. 7

[5] Ralli, Tania (2005), "And Now A Word From Our Shelter: Ads Atop Pine Street Inn Help Pay To Restore It, But Some Ask Where It Will End", The Boston Globe, October 9, 2005, p. 1

[6] Pine Street Inn (Boston) - Wikimapia

[7] "Most Imposing Monument On The Atlantic Coast," The Boston Globe, August 18, 1907, p. SM12

[8] "Provincetown Pilgrim Monument Lighting, Celebrating the Pilgrims Landing". 2018-09-20. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-20.

[9] Carpenter, Edmund J., The Pilgrims and their Monument (Cambridge, MA: Privately printed, 1911), 265.

[inflation-US-10] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{about|a monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims first landed|the monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts that once shared the same name|National Monument to the Forefathers}}
+{{Short description|Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA}}
+{{About|a monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims first landed|the monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts that once shared the same name|National Monument to the Forefathers}}
-{{Infobox Historic Site
+{{Infobox monument
-| name = Pilgrim Monument
+| name          = Pilgrim Monument
+| native_name   =
-| image = PilgrimMonumentbasrelief.jpg|thumb|
+| image         = PilgrimMonumentbasrelief.jpg|
-| caption = View of the Pilgrim Monument with [[Mayflower Compact]] [[bas-relief]] by [[Cyrus Dallin]] below, as seen from Bradford Street.
+| caption       = View of the Pilgrim Monument with the [[Signing of the Mayflower Compact]] by [[Cyrus Dallin]] below, as seen from Bradford Street.
-| location = High Pole Hill Road
-[[Provincetown, MA|Provincetown, Massachusetts]]
+| location = High Pole Hill Road, [[Provincetown, MA|Provincetown, Massachusetts]]
+| designer      = [[Willard T. Sears]]
-| lat_degrees = 42
+| type          = [[Campanile]]
-| lat_minutes = 3
+| material      = [[Granite]]
-| lat_seconds = 7
-| lat_direction = N
+| length        =
-| long_degrees = 70
+| width         =
+| height        = {{convert|252|ft|7+1/2|in|m|abbr=out|0}};<br />Rises {{convert|350|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} above [[sea level]]
-| long_minutes = 11
+| begin         = June 20, 1907
-| long_seconds = 19
-| long_direction = W
+| complete      =
+| open          = {{start date|1910|8|5}}
-| coord_display = inline,title
+| dedicated_to  = The first landfall of the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] in 1620, and the signing in [[Provincetown Harbor]] of the [[Mayflower Compact]].
-| locmapin = Cape Cod
+| map_name     = Cape Cod#Massachusetts
+| map_text      =
+| map_width     =
+| relief        =
+| coordinates   = {{Coord|42.052226|-70.1892015|display=inline,title|type:landmark_scale:500_dim:100_region:US-MA}}
+| website       ={{URL|http://www.pilgrim-monument.org/}}
+| extra         = This is the tallest all-granite structure in the [[United States]].
 }}
+The '''Pilgrim Monument''' in [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], [[Massachusetts]], was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] in 1620 and the signing of the [[Mayflower Compact]] in [[Provincetown Harbor]].<ref name=FAQ/> This {{convert|252|ft|7+1/2|in|m|adj=mid|-tall|1}} [[campanile]] is the tallest all-[[granite]] structure in the United States<ref name="about">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pilgrim-monument.org/pilgrim-monument/|title=About the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown Massachusetts|website=Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-19}}</ref> and is part of the [[Provincetown Historic District]].
+==History==
-The '''Pilgrim Monument''' in [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], [[Massachusetts]], was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] in 1620 and the signing in [[Provincetown Harbor]] of the [[Mayflower Compact]]. This {{convert|252|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall|1}} [[campanile]] is the tallest all-[[granite]] structure in the [[United States]], and is part of the [[Provincetown Historic District]].
+In 1620, the Pilgrims spent five weeks exploring [[Cape Cod]] before they sailed to [[Plymouth, Massachusetts]]. After spending weeks at sea, the Pilgrims resolved not to set foot on land until the Mayflower Compact was written and signed.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}} A contest was held to design a structure to commemorate the Pilgrims' landing, and over 150 entries were submitted.<ref name="twins"/> The winning design, by Boston architect [[Willard T. Sears]], was based upon the [[Torre del Mangia]] in [[Siena]], [[Italy]], designed by [[Agostino da Siena|Agostino and Agnolo da Siena]] in 1309.
+[[File:1907 Theodore Roosevelt Lays Cornerstone of Pilgrim Monument.jpg|thumb|left|On August 20, 1907, Theodore Roosevelt lays the cornerstone of the Pilgrim Monument.]]
-In 1620, the Pilgrims spent five weeks exploring [[Cape Cod]] before they sailed to [[Plymouth, Massachusetts]]. After spending weeks at sea, the Pilgrims resolved not to set foot on land until the Mayflower Compact was written and signed. The Mayflower Compact is the first instance of a democratic society in the New World.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}
+In a ceremony on August 20, 1907, President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] officiated at the laying of the cornerstone. After the monument's completion, President [[William H. Taft]] dedicated it at a ceremony held on August 5, 1910.<ref name="FAQ">{{cite web|title=Pilgrim Monument Overview & FAQ|url=http://www.pilgrim-monument.org/overview-faq|publisher=Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum|access-date=28 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905171548/http://www.pilgrim-monument.org/overview-faq|archive-date=5 September 2015}}</ref>
+The design was controversial because of its lack of any obvious relevance to the Pilgrim Fathers.<ref name="twins">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/property/2014/11/13/throwback-thursday-mini-pilgrim-monument-south-end/|title=Throwback Thursday: How Two Massachusetts Towers Became Twins|last=Bilis|first=Madeline|date=2014-11-13|work=Boston Magazine|access-date=2018-09-19|language=en-US}}</ref> One [[Boston]] architect derided it, saying "If all they want is an architectural curiosity, then why not select the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa]] and be done with it?"<ref name=globe1>"Call It Copy of Torre Del Mangia," ''The Boston Daily Globe,'' January 27, 1907, p. 7</ref> It was also noted that Boston itself already had a copy of the same tower: Boston's fire tower. The fire tower is made of brick like the Italian original, was built in 1892 by [[Edmund M. Wheelwright|Edmund March Wheelwright]], is {{convert|156|ft}} tall, was originally designed as part of the central fire station and used as a fire lookout, and later became part of the [[Pine Street Inn]], a shelter for Boston's [[Homelessness|homeless]].<ref name="twins"/><ref>Ralli, Tania (2005), "And Now A Word From Our Shelter: Ads Atop Pine Street Inn Help Pay To Restore It, But Some Ask Where It Will End", ''The Boston Globe,'' October 9, 2005, p. 1</ref><ref>[http://wikimapia.org/12650498/Pine-Street-Inn Pine Street Inn (Boston)] - Wikimapia</ref>
-A contest was held to design a structure to commemorate the Pilgrims' landing; the winning design, by [[Willard T. Sears]], was based upon the [[Torre del Mangia]] in [[Siena]], [[Italy]], designed by [[Agostino da Siena|Agostino and Agnolo da Siena]] in 1309. In 1907 the cornerstone for the monument was laid by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]].
-The design was controversial because of its lack of any obvious relevance to the Pilgrim Fathers. One [[Boston]] architect derided it, saying "If all they want is an architectural curiosity, then why not select the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa]] and be done with it?"<ref name=globe1>"Call It Copy of Torre Del Mangia," ''The Boston Daily Globe,'' January 27, 1907, p. 7</ref> It was also noted that Boston itself already had a copy of the same tower; Boston's tower, made of brick like the Italian original, was built in 1892 by [[Edmund M. Wheelwright|Edmund March Wheelwright]], is {{convert|156|ft}} tall, was originally designed as part of the central fire station and used as a fire lookout, and later became part of the [[Pine Street Inn]], a shelter for Boston's [[Homelessness|homeless]].<ref>Ralli, Tania (2005), "And Now A Word From Our Shelter: Ads Atop Pine Street Inn Help Pay To Restore It, But Some Ask Where It Will End", ''The Boston Globe,'' October 9, 2005, p. 1</ref><ref>[http://wikimapia.org/12650498/Pine-Street-Inn Pine Street Inn (Boston)] - Wikimapia</ref>
 However, ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' noted that "The people of Provincetown are not at all enthusiastic about the design, but are glad enough to get almost any sort of monument," and quoted "an old sea captain" as saying: "I don't sympathize with all the kicking about the monument. It's good enough, and it has this in its favor, that it resembles many lighthouses on the coast of [[Portugal]] and on Portuguese Islands, and Provincetown, you know, is full of [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]]."<ref>"Most Imposing Monument On The Atlantic Coast," ''The Boston Globe,'' August 18, 1907, p. SM12</ref>
-Tourists from around the world visit Provincetown to climb the monument, and view the Provincetown Museum at its base. The monument commemorates the Pilgrims, and the museum pays tribute to Provincetown's vibrant and historic maritime past. Provincetown residents take great pride in the structure. Christmas lights are strung from the top of the monument to its base annually, and are lit in November to much fanfare.
+Tourists from around the world visit Provincetown to climb the monument and view the Provincetown Museum at its base.<ref name="about"/> The monument commemorates the Pilgrims, and the museum pays tribute to Provincetown's vibrant and historic maritime past. Provincetown residents take great pride in the structure.<ref name="about"/> Christmas lights are strung from the top of the monument to its base annually and are lit in November to much fanfare.<ref>{{Cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920001709/https://ptownevents.com/event/provincetown-pilgrim-monument-lighting/ |url=https://ptownevents.com/event/provincetown-pilgrim-monument-lighting/ |url-status=live |title=Provincetown Pilgrim Monument Lighting, Celebrating the Pilgrims Landing|date=2018-09-20|archive-date=2018-09-20|access-date=2018-09-20}}</ref>  It remains lit nightly into January.
-According to Edmund J. Carpenter in his book ''The Pilgrims and their Monument'' (self-published in 1911), the total expenditures in the planning and construction of the monument were $91,252.82,<ref>Carpenter, Edmund J., ''The Pilgrims and their Monument'' (Cambridge, MA: Privately printed, 1911), 265.</ref> the equivalent of ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|91252|1910|r=-2}}}} in today's money.{{Inflation-fn|US}}
+According to Edmund J. Carpenter in his book ''The Pilgrims and their Monument'' (self-published in 1911), the total expenditures in the planning and construction of the monument were $91,252.82,<ref>Carpenter, Edmund J., ''The Pilgrims and their Monument'' (Cambridge, MA: Privately printed, 1911), 265.</ref> {{Inflation|US|91252|1910|r=-3|fmt=eq}}.{{Inflation-fn|US}}
+== Gallery ==
-[[File:Pilgrim Monument (intérieur).jpg|thumb|left|Interior of Pilgrim Monument, showing some of the 60 ramps used to climb most of the way up (there are some stairs at the bottom and at the top).]]
+<gallery>
+File:Pilgrim Monument (intérieur).jpg|alt=|Interior of the monument showing the ramps used to reach the top
+File:Pilgrim Monument.png|alt=|Monument in 1910
+File:Provincetown - PM Mural 1.jpg|View of structure housing Signing of the Mayflower Compact
+File:MayflowerCompactBasrelief.jpg|Signing of the [[Mayflower Compact]] by [[Cyrus Edwin Dallin|Cyrus Dallin]]
+</gallery>
 ==References==
@@ Line 40: / Line 55: @@
 * [http://www.pilgrim-monument.org Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum]
+{{Provincetown, Massachusetts}}
+{{Mayflower passengers and related topics}}
+{{Authority control}}
+[[Category:1910 establishments in Massachusetts]]
+[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1910]]
 [[Category:Cummings and Sears buildings]]
-[[Category:Buildings and structures in Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]
+[[Category:Landmarks in Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]
-[[Category:Landmarks in Massachusetts]]
-[[Category:Provincetown, Massachusetts]]
 [[Category:Monuments and memorials in Massachusetts]]
-[[Category:Visitor attractions in Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]
+[[Category:Monuments and memorials to the Pilgrims]]
+[[Category:Museums in Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]
+[[Category:Provincetown, Massachusetts]]
 [[Category:Towers in Massachusetts]]
-[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1910]]

v t e Provincetown, Massachusetts
Areas	Provincetown Historic District Dune Shacks of Peaked Hill Bars Historic District (part)
Landmarks	Pilgrim Monument Provincetown Harbor Town Hill
Education	Provincetown Public Schools (K-8) Nauset Public Schools (for high school)
Transportation	Provincetown Municipal Airport Provincetown station (CLOSED)
This list is incomplete.

v t e Mayflower passengers and related topics
General	Mayflower List of Mayflower passengers who died at sea November/December 1620 who died in the winter of 1620–21 Captain Christopher Jones The More family Cole's Hill Mayflower Compact signatories Pilgrims Plymouth Colony Of Plymouth Plantation Mourt's Relation
Separatists	Priscilla (Mullins) Alden Isaac Allerton Mary Allerton William Bradford Love Brewster William Brewster Peter Browne William Butten John Carver James Chilton Mary Chilton Francis Cooke Humility Cooper John Crackston Edward Doty Moses Fletcher Edward Fuller Samuel Fuller John Howland Degory Priest Thomas Rogers Henry Samson George Soule Edward Tilley John Tilley Thomas Tinker John Turner William White Resolved White Peregrine White Edward Winslow
Other passengers	John Alden John Billington Francis Eaton Constance Hopkins Oceanus Hopkins Stephen Hopkins Christopher Martin Elinor More Jasper More Mary More Richard More William Mullins Myles Standish Richard Warren
Native American associates	Squanto Samoset Hobbamock Massasoit Corbitant
Related	Speedwell Fortune passengers The Anne and Little James passengers Plymouth Rock Mayflower Society Mayflower House Museum Pilgrim Hall Museum Mayflower II Mayflower AI sea drone Harwich Mayflower Heritage Centre Myles Standish Burial Ground Myles Standish Monument National Monument to the Forefathers Pilgrim Monument Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar Signing of the Mayflower Compact (1922 relief) Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure (1979 film) The Pilgrim Progress (reenactment)