Dorchester Heights Monument Restoration Project

Dorchester Heights Monument

Cultural Landscape Inventory, Boston National Historical Park and Olmstead Center for Landscape, 2010.

In the middle of the night on March 4, 1776, Continental forces surprised British troops by fortifying Dorchester Heights. This action ultimately led to the evacuation of British troops from Boston on March 17, effectively ending the 11-month long Siege of Boston. Since the actions of Continental forces here in March 1776, Dorchester Heights has remained a landmark in our nation's revolutionary landscape.

To recognize the feat achieved over a hundred years prior, Bostonians gathered to dedicate a monument in 1902. This monument continues to stand as a testament to the people who fought for the ideals this country was founded upon.

Yet, this site of national significance has also made its mark on the local community, serving as a gathering space for friends and families for generations. Today, National Parks of Boston continues to steward Dorchester Heights Monument and looks forward to the next chapter of the Monument’s role in its local community and in helping us reflect on our nation’s founding. This next chapter includes a multimillion-dollar restoration project with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). With the completion of this project, the iconic commemorative tower and grounds will be safe and accessible for visitors and continue to serve as a landmark within the community.

Historical Background

Dorchester Heights & America's War for Independence

Following the battles at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, colonists formed a New England army to surround and contain the British forces occupying Boston. Boston became the center of a developing war between rebelling colonists and British forces. The town would be under siege for the next 11 months, until March 1776. Dorchester Heights played a pivotal role in bringing this siege to an end.

In June 1775, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the newly established Continental Army. As he made his way north to take command, news came about the bloody fighting outside Boston at Bunker Hill. Upon his arrival, Washington set up his headquarters in Cambridge, just west of Boston, and organized his army. Over the next several months, Continental forces expanded defensive works to resist a potential British attack, while Washington and his generals considered options to dislodge the British from Boston.

This selection of a campaign map depicts the fortifications on Dorchester Heights.

"Gen. Washington's Revolutionary campaign war map : after a survey ordered by him showing the position of his army in defence of Boston, 1776..." Norman B. Leventhal Center Collection, Boston Public Library.

On November 16, 1775, Washington directed General Henry Knox to retrieve cannon from Fort Ticonderoga in New York. As he wrote to Knox, "the want of them is so great, that no trouble or expence [sic] must be spared to obtain them."¹ Following orders, Knox retrieved 59 cannon for the Continental Army. Writing to Washington, he planned to use "eighty yoke of Oxen" to make the 300-mile journey to Cambridge.² The arrival of Knox and the cannons in January 1776 greatly strengthened the Continental Army's artillery.

In February, Washington and his generals agreed to a strategy to finally dislodge the British from Boston. They recognized the strategic military advantage of fortifying Dorchester Heights, which overlooked Boston Harbor and the town from the south and east. But there was a challenge: how would the Army fortify the Heights undetected? Using the additional artillery that Knox recovered, Washington ordered a large bombardment of Boston to divert the attention of British forces to the west of town. Finally, on the night of March 4, 1776, Washington directed General John Thomas and Colonel Richard Gridley, the chief engineer of the army, to fortify the Heights at Dorchester. Over 1,200 soldiers and volunteers and 300 oxcarts transported tools and materials to the site as stealthily as possible.

The dawn of March 5, 1776 – the 6-year anniversary of the Boston Massacre – revealed to everyone what the Continental forces achieved overnight. A fortification with cannon towered over Boston, as well as the only shipping routes out of the Harbor. British General William Howe commented, "My God, these fellows have done more work in one night than I could make my army do in three months."³ Howe planned an attack in response to this aggressive act by the colonial forces, yet a storm prevented an immediate response. Having been surrounded by Washington's army, Howe recognized he was at a military disadvantage and determined to remove his troops from the city. On March 17, 1776, British forces evacuated Boston, along with over a thousand colonial Loyalists.

This quiet military operation on Dorchester Heights not only led to the evacuation of British troops, but also effectively ended the Siege of Boston. After marching into Boston on March 18, Washington prepared to move his army to New York, anticipating the focus of the war to shift there.

Ruins of the fortifications at Dorchester Heights remained into the 1800s.

"Boston from Dorchester Heights, 1836." Boston Public Library.

The Commemorative Tower and Grounds

Over the decades following the war, the uses of Dorchester Heights shifted from a fortification to a community space. Today the Dorchester Heights Monument consists of Thomas Park (1852-54) and its commemorative tower (1901-02).

Shortly after the end of the Siege of Boston in 1776, Chief Engineer and Colonel Richard Gridley reconstructed the fortification into a star shape to better defend against a future attack. During the War of 1812, U.S. forces refortified the site, however, British forces did not attack Boston. Over time, the fort degraded, leaving remnants into the mid-1800s.

In the late 1840s, the growing community in the South Boston neighborhood of Boston called upon the city to improve city services for local residents, which included better access to water and more public spaces. The city selected Telegraph Hill as a site to build both a reservoir and a park.⁴ The city of Boston constructed Thomas Park between 1852 and 1854. This 5.43-acre park became one of the first public parks in the city.⁵ Its original elliptical-shaped plan still stands today.

Dorchester Heights has long served as a community gathering space in South Boston.

"South Boston, Massachusetts. Thomas Park and Evacuation Monument, Dorchester Heights." ca. 1902-1920. Boston Public Library.

One hundred years after the fortification of Dorchester Heights and Evacuation Day, the community held a memorial to recognize this significant moment in the site's history.⁶ Initially the community installed a granite Centennial Monument in 1877. However, in the 1890s local residents called for "a more substantial monument."⁷ This led to a design competition for a new monument. Boston architectural firm Peabody & Stearns won this contest and in 1901 constructed the 115-foot-tall marble commemorative tower.⁸ Dedicated on March 17, 1902, the Georgian Revival Style tower commemorates the fortification of Dorchester Heights during the Revolutionary War, which led to the British evacuation of the city.

Throughout the 1900s, Dorchester Heights continued to be a feature of the local community, leading to efforts to protect and preserve this site. In 1951, the Secretary of the Interior and the Mayor of Boston announced the designation of Dorchester Heights as a National Historic Site. About twenty-seven years later, in 1978, Dorchester Heights National Historic Site joined Boston National Historical Park, with the transfer of ownership occurring in 1980. Today, the National Parks of Boston continues to steward Dorchester Heights.

To learn more about the history and legacy of this local and national site, explore the articles and digital content on the Dorchester Heights webpage.

Current State of the Site

With the creation of Thomas Park in the 1850s and the construction of the tower in the early 1900s, Dorchester Heights Monument has endured all types of weather and experienced shifting grounds. Due to these environmental effects, Dorchester Heights has required updates and restoration throughout the years.

Dorchester Heights Monument.

NPS Photo/Gould

Since joining Boston National Historical Park in 1978, Dorchester Heights Monument has undergone a few renovations ranging from small to large scale projects. This project will mark the next substantial restoration that will address current issues affecting the grounds and commemorative tower. These issues include: deteriorating concrete; cracks and displacement of walls, stairs, and ramps; and water penetration and shifting masonry in the monument. Without addressing these issues, the conditions will continue to grow worse over time.

During the summer and fall of 2021, the Park took initial steps to stabilize the Monument and ensure public safety around the base of the tower. This work included:

• Removing free-standing stone elements at risk of falling from the top of the tower as a safety precaution and storing them for future restoration.
• Sealing existing roofing and flashing.
• Re-pointing vulnerable open stone joints at Belfry and Lantern levels.
• Installation of new stormproof aluminum louvers in the existing slit openings to ventilate the interior of the tower.
• Probing existing steel and masonry interface conditions to verify construction details.

While this work provided temporary safety precautions, it also laid the essential groundwork for the restoration of the commemorative tower.

Project Description

Boston National Historical Park is planning a multimillion-dollar restoration of the Dorchester Heights Monument atop Telegraph Hill in South Boston with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). This project will restore the 115-foot-tall marble commemorative tower, and it will also replace all hardscapes within the surrounding 5.43-acre grounds around the tower, known as Thomas Park. With completion of this project, the iconic tower and grounds will be safe and accessible for visitors and continue to serve as a landmark within the local community.

Restoring Dorchester Heights which includes work on the Belfry, Lantern Spire, Observation Level, exterior masonry, and interior of the monument. The grounds will also be updated.

NPS Photo

Commemorative Tower

This restoration will preserve the iconic resource making the Observatory Level suitable for public visitation and providing permanent webcam mounts at the Belfry Level above the Observatory. This work will include:

• Restoration and structural upgrade, including dismantling and reconstructing the Belfry, Lantern, and Spire levels.
• New roofing, flashing, and bird control systems.
• Full exterior masonry cleaning and restoration.
• Full interior masonry and steel staircase restoration.
• New interior lighting and ventilation systems with associated electrical upgrades.
• Terrace entrance gate, fencing, bronze entry door, and Observatory door restoration.

Thomas Park Grounds

As part of this project, the hardscape construction of the grounds will also be updated. This work will include:

• Replacing existing hardscape including all walkways, stairs, ramps, retaining walls, drainage, and handrails. 
• New, deep micropile footings to reach stable soil to correct movement of walls. These footings are foundation support elements that will be used here to provide structural stability to the walls and slopes.
• Monitoring and protecting the site's archeological resources. 
• Installing ramps in accordance with NPS accessibility guidelines. Increasing north ramp width to a minimum of 15' wide to accommodate NPS vehicles and equipment. 
• Upgrading site storm water drainage system. 
• Refurbishing light poles & retrofitting with new energy efficient fixtures. Replacing any substandard wiring. 
• Granite markers in the landscape to mark the "points" of the 1776 fortifications.
• New granite inserts at the entrances to the site to replace the existing interpretive concrete inserts.

Project Progress

National Park Service Regional Director Gay Vietzke announced the funding at this year’s Evacuation Day commemoration at Dorchester Heights on Thursday, March 17. The program featured remarks by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and National Parks of Boston Superintendent Michael Creasey. The event also included ceremonial musket fire by the Lexington Minutemen and music provided by the Boston University Band.

Footnotes

1. "Instructions to Colonel Henry Knox, 16 November 1775," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0351. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 2, 16 September 1775 – 31 December 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987, pp. 384–385.]
2. "To George Washington from Colonel Henry Knox, 17 December 1775," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0521-0001. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 2, 16 September 1775 – 31 December 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987, pp. 563–565.]
3. David McCullough, 1776 (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005), 93.
4. "Nation Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Dorchester Heights National Historic Site," Boston NHP - Dorchester Heights, 2010 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/449583, 33; "Cultural Landscape Report: Dorchester Heights / Thomas Park, Boston National Historical Park," Danielle D. Desilets, RLA (Historic Landscape Architect, Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture, Inc.) and Cynthia Zaitzevsky, Historian, 2020, NPGallery.
5. "Nation Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Dorchester Heights National Historic Site," 3.
6. "Nation Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Dorchester Heights National Historic Site," 2.
7. "Nation Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Dorchester Heights National Historic Site," 2.
8. "Nation Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Dorchester Heights National Historic Site," 2.

Sources and Related Materials

• "Cultural Landscape Report: Dorchester Heights / Thomas Park, Boston National Historical Park." Danielle D. Desilets, RLA (Historic Landscape Architect, Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture, Inc.) and Cynthia Zaitzevsky, Historian, 2020. NPGallery.
• Frothingham, Richard. History of the siege of Boston. Boston: C. C. Little and J. Brown, 1851. Archive.org.
• "Instructions to Colonel Henry Knox, 16 November 1775," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0351. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 2, 16 September 1775 – 31 December 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987, pp. 384–385.]
• McCullough, David. 1776. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
• "Nation Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: Dorchester Heights National Historic Site," Boston NHP - Dorchester Heights, 2010. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/449583.
• Millman, Amy. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form Dorchester Heights." National Park Service. NPGallery.
• "Park Archives: Boston National Historical Park." NPS History. Accessed February 16, 2022. Park Archives.
• Stockwell, Mary. "Siege of Boston." George Washington's Mount Vernon. Accessed February, 14, 2022. Siege of Boston · George Washington's Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/siege-of-boston/.
• "To George Washington from Colonel Henry Knox, 17 December 1775," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0521-0001. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 2, 16 September 1775 – 31 December 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987, pp. 563–565.]