High above the Boston Harbor, this strategic spot played a crucial role in overcoming the British occupation. The Georgian revival tower that stands today was built in 1898. To reach the monument, walk southeast along West Broadway from the T station, turn right onto Dorchester St and head up any of the little streets.
In the winter of 1776, rebel troops dragged 59 heavy cannons to Boston from Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. On the night of March 4, they perched them high atop Dorchester Heights, from where the British warships in the Harbor were at their mercy. The move caught the British completely by surprise, and ultimately convinced them to abandon Boston.