The Prospect Hill Monument, also occasionally called the Prospect Hill Tower is a stone structure in
Somerville
Somerville may refer to:
*Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford
Places
*Somerville, Victoria, Australia
* Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia
* Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...
,
. It is a block away from the heart of
Union Square (Somerville), a neighborhood in Somerville. Its name is formally the Prospect Hill Memorial Flag Tower and Observatory.
The tower is four stories tall and built out of iron and stone. The lower deck, outside of the first floor is open to the public and offers a panoramic view of Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge. At various points the city of Somerville has offered tours of the tower, though these are currently closed due to upcoming construction.
History
The tower is located at the top of Prospect Hill, which was the site of American fortifications during the Revolutionary war and also served as a training facility during the Civil War. The monument itself was designed by Ernest W. Bailey and built in 1904. It has been refurbished several times since in order to preserve its structural soundness. As of August 28, 2020, it reopened after renovation. It is closed now due to COVID-19.
Flag
The monument flies the
Grand Union Flag, a precursor to the American flag. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington reportedly hoisted the Grand Union Flag himself over the very land the tower now sits atop. Some sources
cite this as the first time that any American flag was raised. Historical research has corroborated this story.
References
External links
Prospect Hill TowerRehabilitation
{{coord, 42.38172, -71.09350, format=dms, type:landmark_region:US-MA, display=title
Buildings and structures in Somerville, Massachusetts