Prospect Hill Monument, Somerville, Massachusetts

Prospect Hill Monument

As you travel from Boston towards New Hampshire on Route 93, you can see a large hill in Somerville, with a tower and an American Flag waving day and night.  This is Prospect Hill, which was of strategic importance to Charlestown and Boston during the Revolutionary War.  It was originally called “The Citadel”.   Nearby is Union Square, which was an old mustering station for the Union during the Civil War. 

The castle tower you see today was built in 1902 to commemorate the soldiers of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  There is an annual ceremony here every year to raise the “Grand Union Flag”, an early version of the US flag with thirteen red and white stripes.  It is a local myth that George Washington was the first to raise the Grand Union flag here on Prospect Hill on 1 January 1776, but historians have shown that it was flown earlier in other places.   Still, the tradition continues every year…

I had driven by this hill for many, many years.  One day we were coming home from one of my daughter’s crew races on the Charles River, and we had a camera.  So we stopped to take these photos of the Prospect Hill Monument.  Enjoy!

The Prospect Hill Monument "The Citadel"

From this aminence

on January 1, 1776

The flag of the United Colonies

Bearing thirteen stripes and the crosses

of Saint George and Saint Andrew

First waved defiance to a foe.

"The Flower of the British Army"

Prisoners of War

Who surrendered at Saratoga

Were quartered on this hill

From November 7, 1777 to October 18, 1778

Guarded by American Troops

under General William Heath.

On this historic hill

Answering their country's call

in 1862

Encamped the soldiers of Somerville

Whose record of patriotism and fortitude

in the Civil War

Is Worthy of highest honor

and commemoration

The view of the Boston skyline from the top of Prospect Hill Monument

The tower interior

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Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo