The Bunker Hill Monument was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill. It is a 221 foot granite obelisk was erected between 1827 and 1843 in Charlestown, Massachusetts that you can visit with your car hire Boston.

War breaks out

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place as part of the Siege of Boston during the American Revolutionary War, which you may learn while you are here with your car hire Boston. General Israel Putnam was in charge of the revolutionary forces here and Major-General William Howe was the commander of the British forces. Since Boston is on a peninsula, it was largely protected from close approach by the water that surrounded it. Once troops got into the city, they were re-supplied and reinforced by sea.

The battle breaks out

On the night of June 16-17, Colonial Colonel William Prescott led 1500 men onto the peninsula to set up positions for artillery fire that could be directed into Boston for the siege. Around 4 a.m., a sentry on the HMS Lively spotted the new fortification and opened fire. It took almost six hours to organize the infantry force to gather up. Troops reinforced the position. In the third British assault the reserves were included and the attack was successful. The Americans ran out of ammunition and the British had their bayonets. When you visit with your car hire Boston, you can learn more about the battle.

What remains today

The Bunker Hill Monument was built to commemorate the battle that took place here. It is a 221 foot granite obelisk that was built between 1827 and 1843. When you visit with your car hire Boston, you can visit the monument. William Ticknor, a well-known Boston lawyer and antiquarian, was the first to suggest a memorial for the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1823. The Bunker Hill Monument Association was established and fundraising began. In the spring of 1825, the association bought 15 acres of land on the slope of Breed's Hill. The cornerstone was laid on June 17, 1825 and the Marquis de Lafayette performed the ceremony. Construction was halted as the monument was built because of inadequate funds. When you visit with your car hire Boston, you can learn more about how the monument was constructed.

Plan your trip

The Bunker Hill Monument is located on Monument Avenue in Charlestown. It is open to climb from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. It is free to see with your car hire Boston.