Special to the Patriot-Bridge
In January of 2025, the members of the Monument Square Study Committee were sworn in at the City Clerk’s Office. Soon, the members will meet to discuss establishing the Monument Square Landmark District as the city’s 11th historic district and Charlestown’s first. The Committee will recommend district boundaries, regulatory standards and areas of purview.
The proposed designation of the Monument Square Landmark District was initiated in 2022 after a petition was submitted by 10 registered voters to the Boston Landmarks Commission, asking that the Commission designate the proposed district under the provisions of Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended. The purpose of this designation is to recognize and protect a physical feature or improvement that, in whole or part, has historical, cultural, social, architectural, or aesthetic significance.
The proposed Monument Square Landmark District encompasses approximately 6.44 acres of land, with 47 contributing structures that front directly onto Monument Square. The proposed district is situated at the summit of Breed’s Hill, historically known as the location of the American Revolutionary War battle of Bunker Hill. The proposed district outlines the grounds of the current National Historic Landmark, Bunker Hill Monument.
Monument Square was designed in 1825 to commemorate the June 17, 1775, Battle of Bunker Hill. Development began in 1839 when 50 building lots were sold on preserved battlefield property to construct a planned neighborhood to border the dedicated memorial obelisk and park. Situated on the summit of Breed’s Hill in Charlestown, Monument Square occupies the site of the main American redoubt during the battle, making its location that of national significance to military history. Further, strict deed restrictions and dictated elements of construction and design resulted in an urban landscape unique to Charlestown. The social and political processes that led to the conceptualization and establishment of Monument Square in 1839 provide insight into the ideologies of the early 19th century regarding the memorialization and commemoration of the Revolutionary War.
Among the 12 new landmarks was APOLLOS FIELD HOUSE in Charlestown that was designated in April 2024.