Maryhill Stonehenge

Maryhill's full-size replica of Stonehenge
Stonehenge WWI memorial at Maryhill

The Maryhill Stonehenge is a replica of England's Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington. It was commissioned in the early twentieth century by businessman Samuel Hill and dedicated on July 4, 1918, as a memorial to those who had died in World War I. The memorial was completed in 1929. It is constructed of concrete.

Historical significance

The Maryhill Stonehenge was the first monument in the United States to honor the dead of World War I (specifically, soldiers from Klickitat County, Washington who had died in the then still on-going war). The altar stone is placed to be aligned with sunrise on the summer solstice. Hill, a Quaker, mistakenly believed that the original Stonehenge had been used as a sacrificial site, therefore constructed the replica as a reminder that humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war.[1] [2] The monument was originally located in the center of Maryhill, which later burned down leaving only the Stonehenge replica. A second formal dedication of the monument took place upon its completion on May 30, 1929. Sam Hill, who died in 1931, lived long enough to see his Stonehenge completed.[3]

The dedication plaque on this Washington Stonehenge is inscribed:

"In memory of the soldiers of Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country. This monument is erected in the hope that others inspired by the example of their valor and their heroism may share in that love of liberty and burn with that fire of patriotism which death can alone quench."

Current status

The Maryhill Stonehenge is now part of the Maryhill Museum of Art, which also includes monuments to the soldiers of Klickitat County who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

This concrete landmark is located off U.S. Highway 97, about two miles from where it enters Washington from Oregon, by crossing the Columbia River. Admission is free to visit the memorial; but donations for its continued maintenance are appreciated.

360° panorama inside the Maryhill Stonehenge replica. Plaques commemorating WWI soldiers can be seen as well as glimpses of the Columbia River

References

  1. ↑ "Sam Hill's Stonehenge". Roadside America. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  2. ↑ "Stonehenge Memorial & Klickitat County Veterans’ Memorials". Maryhill Museum of Art. Retrieved 2017-03-12.}
  3. ↑ Becker, Paula (June 14, 2006). "Altar stone of Stonehenge replica built to memorialize World War I soldiers is dedicated at Maryhill on July 4, 1918. HistoryLink.org Essay 7809". HistoryLink. Retrieved 2008-07-26.

Coordinates: 45°41′40″N 120°48′22″W / 45.694342°N 120.806115°W / 45.694342; -120.806115

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