Memorial Arch of Tilton
Encyclopedia
Memorial Arch of Tilton, sometimes referred to as Tilton's Folly, is a historic arch on Elm Street in Northfield, New Hampshire
, United States, on a hill overlooking the town of Tilton
. The 55 feet (16.8 m) was built by Charles Tilton in 1882; it was modeled after the Arch of Titus
in Rome
, its surfaces, however, modeled in the rustication
that was currently a fashionable feature of Romanesque revival building. The Memorial Arch of Tilton was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
in 1881, when he visited Rome
. While there he saw the Arch of Titus
and decided to create a similar structure in his town to "symbolize the victories of peace rather than those of war." Ironically he chose to build this monument to peace on top of an old Indian fort at the apex of a local hill.
Construction was completed on the Memorial Arch in 1882 at a price of 50,000 dollars.
By the early 1980s the monument had been added to the National Register of Historic Places, but showed signs of neglect. In 1984 it was repaired and cleaned. Plants growing out of cracks in the top of the arch were removed and the monument itself was sandblasted and repointed. A park around the monument was also created at this time including the addition of picnic tables and grills.
. It sits on top of a hill 150 feet (45.7 m) above the Winnipesaukee River
, and its foundation goes into the earth 16 feet (4.9 m). At its base is located a 50-ton sarcophagus and red granite "Numidia
n lion." Tilton intended to be buried in this monument, but was not. He was instead buried roughly a mile west of the arch in Park Cemetery in Tilton.
When the Memorial Arch was built, gas lamps were placed on each corner of the monument to illuminate it at night. Since there were no electric street lights in Tilton at this time, the arch was the only thing lit up for miles.
Tilton also commissioned other monuments around the town of Tilton
. These include allegorical depictions of America
, Europe
, Asia
, and a statue of a local Indian chief.
, and gold and silver coins.
Northfield, New Hampshire
Northfield is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,829 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was settled in 1760 as a part of Canterbury. In the late 1770s the residents of the "north fields" of Canterbury petitioned the State Legislature to become their...
, United States, on a hill overlooking the town of Tilton
Tilton, New Hampshire
Tilton is a town located on the Winnipesaukee River in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,567 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Lochmere. Tilton is home to the Tilton School, a private preparatory school.-History:...
. The 55 feet (16.8 m) was built by Charles Tilton in 1882; it was modeled after the Arch of Titus
Arch of Titus
The Arch of Titus is a 1st-century honorific arch located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in c.82 AD by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus' victories, including the Siege of...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, its surfaces, however, modeled in the rustication
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
that was currently a fashionable feature of Romanesque revival building. The Memorial Arch of Tilton was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
History
Charles Tilton was inspired to create a triumphal archTriumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
in 1881, when he visited Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. While there he saw the Arch of Titus
Arch of Titus
The Arch of Titus is a 1st-century honorific arch located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in c.82 AD by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus' victories, including the Siege of...
and decided to create a similar structure in his town to "symbolize the victories of peace rather than those of war." Ironically he chose to build this monument to peace on top of an old Indian fort at the apex of a local hill.
Construction was completed on the Memorial Arch in 1882 at a price of 50,000 dollars.
By the early 1980s the monument had been added to the National Register of Historic Places, but showed signs of neglect. In 1984 it was repaired and cleaned. Plants growing out of cracks in the top of the arch were removed and the monument itself was sandblasted and repointed. A park around the monument was also created at this time including the addition of picnic tables and grills.
The arch
The Memorial Arch of Tilton is 55 feet (16.8 m) tall and 40 feet (12.2 m) wide, and is constructed of Concord graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. It sits on top of a hill 150 feet (45.7 m) above the Winnipesaukee River
Winnipesaukee River
The Winnipesaukee River is a river that connects Lake Winnipesaukee with the Pemigewasset and Merrimack rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire. The river is located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire. The total drainage area of the river is approximately .There are two distinct sections of...
, and its foundation goes into the earth 16 feet (4.9 m). At its base is located a 50-ton sarcophagus and red granite "Numidia
Numidia
Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
n lion." Tilton intended to be buried in this monument, but was not. He was instead buried roughly a mile west of the arch in Park Cemetery in Tilton.
When the Memorial Arch was built, gas lamps were placed on each corner of the monument to illuminate it at night. Since there were no electric street lights in Tilton at this time, the arch was the only thing lit up for miles.
Tilton also commissioned other monuments around the town of Tilton
Tilton, New Hampshire
Tilton is a town located on the Winnipesaukee River in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,567 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Lochmere. Tilton is home to the Tilton School, a private preparatory school.-History:...
. These include allegorical depictions of America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and a statue of a local Indian chief.
Keystone
The keystone of the arch is 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep. It is inscribed with raised letters "Memorial Arch of Tilton" and "1882" on each end. Inside the keystone sits a time capsule of sorts. It is a lead box with current newspapers from the time period of the erection of the arch, a copy of Successful Men of New Hampshire, a history of Sanbornton, New HampshireSanbornton, New Hampshire
Sanbornton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,966 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of North Sanbornton and Gaza.-History:...
, and gold and silver coins.