Bennington Battle Monument
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The Bennington Battle Monument is a 306' stone obelisk located at 15 Monument Circle, in Bennington, Vermont, very close to the Catamount Tavern where Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys dwelt, and up the street from Robert Frost's grave. It is open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week, mid-April to October 31.
The monument commemorates the Revolutionary War's Battle of Bennington. It was on August 17, 1777, that Brigadier General John Stark and 1,400 New Hampshire men, aided by Colonels Warner and Herrick of Vermont, Simonds of Massachusetts, and Moses Nichols of New Hampshire, successfully defeated two detachments of General Burgoyne's invading British army, who were apparently attacking a store of weapons and food maintained on the site. While the battle is recognized as the Battle of Bennington, it actually occurred over the state line, in New York.
In 1877 a local historical society began to plan a monument for the battle's centenary, and considered many designs. One which called for a slender stone column only 100 feet tall was showcased during the battle's centennial celebration, which was attended by President Rutherford B. Hayes. The committee eventually accepted J. Phillip Rinn's design with some changes. The monument's cornerstone was laid in 1887, and it was completed in November 1889 at a total cost of $112,000 (including the site). It is constructed of Sandy Hill Dolomite from present day Hudson Falls, New York, a blue-gray magnesian limestone containing numerous fossils. Dedication ceremonies were delayed until 1891, when President Benjamin Harrison attended the ceremonies and held a reception at the nearby Walloomsac Inn.
The monument is the tallest structure in Vermont. From its observatory level, reached by elevator, one can see Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts. A kettle captured from General Burgoyne's camp at Saratoga is visible in the monument. Statues of John Stark ("Live free or die"), Seth Warner, and other notables ornament the grounds.
