Pilgrim Monument
Encyclopedia
For the monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument see National Monument to the Forefathers
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 in Provincetown Harbor
of the Mayflower Compact
. This 252-foot (76,80 m) tall 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, MA. 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.
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 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?" 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 March Wheelwright
, is 156 feet 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
.
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."
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.
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, the equivalent of $ in today's money.
National Monument to the Forefathers
The National Monument to the Forefathers, formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument, commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims and honors their ideals as later generally embraced by the United States...
The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing in Provincetown Harbor
Provincetown Harbor
Provincetown Harbor is a large natural harbor located in the town of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The harbor is mostly 30 to deep and stretches roughly one mile from northwest to southeast and two miles from northeast to southwest, i.e., one large, deep bowl with no dredged channel necessary for...
of the Mayflower Compact
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, later together known to history as the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower...
. This 252-foot (76,80 m) tall campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
is the tallest all-granite
Granite
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...
structure in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is part of the Provincetown historic district
Provincetown Historic District
The Provincetown Historic District is a portion of downtown Provincetown, Massachusetts, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in 1989 as Barnstable County place #89001148.The district is roughly bounded to the north by U.S...
.
In 1620, the Pilgrims spent five weeks exploring Cape Cod before they sailed to Plymouth, MA. 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.
A contest was held to design a structure to commemorate the Pilgrims' landing; the winning design, by Willard T. Sears
Willard T. Sears
Willard Thomas Sears was a prominent New England architect of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who worked primarily in the Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival styles....
, was based upon the Torre del Mangia
Torre del Mangia
The Torre del Mangia is a tower in Siena, in the Tuscany region of Italy. Built in 1338-1348, it is located in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's premier square, adjacent to the Palazzo Pubblico . When built it was one of the tallest secular towers in mediaeval Italy...
in Siena, Italy, designed by Agostino and Agnolo da Siena
Agostino da Siena
Agostino da Siena or Agostino di Giovanni was an Italian architect and sculptor, active between 1310 and 1347.-Biography:...
in 1309. In 1907 the cornerstone for the monument was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
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
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...
and be done with it?" 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 March Wheelwright
Edmund M. Wheelwright
Edmund March Wheelwright was one of New England's most important architects in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and served as city architect for Boston, Massachusetts from 1891-1895....
, is 156 feet 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
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
.
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."
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.
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, the equivalent of $ in today's money.