Peace Monuments in New England (USA) (States of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island & Vermont)

Right click image to enlarge.

1796 - Peacefield, Quincy, Massachusetts (USA). "I think to christen my place Peacefield, in commemoration of the peace which I assisted in making in 1783, of the thirteen years peace and neutrality which I [as Vice President] have contributed to preserve, and of the constant peace and tranqualitry which I have enjoyed in this residence." -- John Adams [1735-1926], 1796.

1831 - Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA). "Our founders believed that burying and commemorating the dead was best done in a tranquil and beautiful natural setting at a short distance from the city center. They also believed that the Cemetery should be a place for the living, 'embellishing' the natural landscape with ornamental plantings, monuments, fences, fountains and chapels. This inspired concept was copied widely throughout the United States, giving birth to the rural cemetery movement and the tradition of garden cemeteries. Their popularity led, in turn, to the establishment of America's public parks." Famous people buried here include William Ellery Channing [1780-1842], Dorothea Dix [1802-1887], Julia Ward Howe [1819-1897] and Mary Baker Eddy [1821-1887].

M U S E U M

Date? - Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Hartford, Connecticut (USA).

About 1849 - Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, Dawn, near Dresden, Kent County, Ontario (Canada). "This humble house became a crucial link in the Underground Railroad when it was settled by Josiah Henson [1789-1883], who escaped slavery in Kentucky in 1830. His autobiography in 1849 inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to pen Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852. Ner novel was credited by President Abraham Lincoln as a catalyst of the American Civil War."

Circa 1833 - "Peaceable Kingdom", Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts (USA). One of a series of similar paintings by Quaker artist by David Hicks [1780-1849]. Probably painted in Pennsylvania.

1855 - The Reconcilation of Montagues and Capulets (Over the Dead Bodies of Romeo and Juliet), Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut (USA). By Frederic Lord Leighton [1830-1896].

June 17, 1887 - Angel of Peace, Soldiers & Sailors Monument, East Rock, New Haven, Connecticut (USA). "The monument consists of a square pedestal and a vertical granite shaft, culminating with the 11-foot, 5,000-pound bronze Angel of Peace at the top. The faces of the pedestal feature bronze bas-relief sculptures depicting scenes from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War, respectively. On the four corners of the pedestal sit four different bronze ladies: Patriotism, Victory, Prosperity, and History."

1890 - Peace Monument, Monument Hill, Leeds, Maine (USA). "Erected in memory of the 161 soldiers and sailors who served from this town. This is the largest per capita number serving in the war of any town in the State of Maine."

1905 - Angel of Peace, Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Sculpted by Daniel Chester French [1850-1931]. George Robert White [1847-1922] was "a well known Boston philanthropist who made his fortune with the Weeks & Potter Drug Company." French created many famous memorials, including the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

June 1908 - Maine Monument, Salisbury National Cemetery, 202 Government Road, Salisbury, North Carolina (USA). This & the Pennsylvania monument were built because of the significant number of federal soldiers from those states who perished at Salisbury Prison during the Civil War. Inscription says: "They fought for peace. For peace they fell. They sleep in peace. And all is well."

1922 - Statue of Anne Hutchinson, State House, Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Anne Hutchinson [1591-1643] was a "courageous exponent of civil liberty and religious toleration." Inscription on the marble pediment of the statue reads: "In memory of Anne Marbury Hutchinson. Baptized at Alford, Lincolnshire, England, 20 July 1595 [sic]. Killed by the Indians at East Chester, New York, 1643. Courageous exponent of civil liberty and religious toleration."

1929 - Charles Lindbergh Good Will Window, Trinity Methodist Church, Springfield, Massachusetts (USA). "Commemorates Charles Lindbergh's famous flight across the world [sic]. The window depicts Lindbergh standing, dressed in aviation clothing. The words 'Good Will' appear in a banner behind his head. Circular insets in the two upper corners of the window show, respectively, a map of the world marked with latitude and longitude lines and a flying airplane, which casts a shadow on the ground in the form of a cross."

November 11, 1929 - World War I Memorial, Licht Judicial Complex , Providence, Rhode Island (USA). 150 feet tall and capped by a female figure symbolizing peace.

1935 - "Maparium," Mary Baker Eddy Library, Christian Scientist Headquarters, Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Walk-though globe. Names & boundaries of nations are still as they were in 1935.

1955 - Babson World Globe, Babson College, Babson Park, 231 Forest Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts (USA). 28-foot diameter globe created by college founder Roger Babson [1875-1967] along with "The Great Relief Map," a 65-foot plaster of Paris model of the lower 48 states which accurately matched the curvature of the earth. The globe was restored (and "The Great Relief Map" removed from adjacent Coleman Hall) about 2000. Its new surface was provided by DeLorme of Yarmouth, Maine (USA). Babson is a private business school that offers all undergraduates a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Roger Babson also created the Babson Boulder Trail in the Dogtown section of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Visited by EWL.

1956 - Peace Cross, Holy Land U.S.A., Pine Hill, Waterbury, Connecticut (USA). Photos show the original steel cross. It was replaced 12 years later by a larger, illuminated cross, and the illuminated cross was replaced in 2008."

1959 - Statue of Mary Dyer, Massachusetts State House, Boston, Massachusetts (USA). By Quaker sculptor Sylvia Shaw Judson "The Massachusetts legislature enacted a law that every Quaker in its jurisdiction should be banished on pain of death. Mary Dyer [c1611-1660] was hanged in May 1660 for re-entering that colony, rather than abandon the principles of freedom of speech and conscience." Copies are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, & Richmond, Indiana.

1965 St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer, 69 Groton Long Point Road, Groton, Connecticut (USA). This Catholic Church obtained the cupola of the Vatican Pavlion after the New York World's Fair.

1964-1965 - "Peace Through Understanding" (Pavilion of the Vatican), New York World's Fair, Flusing Meadow, Queens, New York City, New York (USA). "Designed to have distinct settings for its major exhibits -- Michelangelo's "Pieta" and an early Christian sculpture from the catacombs, "The Good Shepard."

1969 - A. J. Muste Conference Center, Voluntown Peace Trust (VPT), 539 Beach Pond Road, Voluntown, Connecticut (USA), "Built by the New England Committee for Nonviolent Action (NECNVA). Features a large meeting hall with skylights, industrial kitchen, accessible bathroom, covered outdoor porch, and the historic Eugene V. Debs Memorial Library." VPT was created by Marjorie and Robert Swann [1918-2003]. Swann also creaed the E. F. Schumacher Society, Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

1985 - New England Peace Pagoda (Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo), Nipponzan Myohoji Sangha, 100 Cave Hill Road, Leverett, Massachusetts (USA). Entry #458 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

Mothers Day 1988 - Peace Abbey, 2 North Main Street, Sherborn, Massachusetts (USA). Three-acre "Multi-faith retreat center" founded by Lewis Randa & Dot Walsh. Includes "Peace Seeds" (prayers for peace of 12 different faiths), Memorial for Unknown Civilians Killed in War, Sacred Cow Animal Rights Memorial, and Conscientious Objectors Hill of Remembrance. Right image shows Pacifist Memorial with Gandhi statue. Makes annual Courgage of Conscience Award. Entry #472 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1989 - Samantha Reed Smith Statue, Augusta, Maine (USA). Click here for Wikipedia article about Samantha Smith [1972-1985]. See 1985 peace garden in Port Huron, Michigan (USA). Entry #366 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1990 - Library, E. F. Schumacher Society, South Egremont, Massachusetts (USA). A 11,000 volume collection of materials focusing on decentralism and exploring the viability of ecologically, economically, and socially responsible societies, built on the ideal of human scale. Created by Robert Swann [1918-2003]. Swann also created the Voluntown Peace Trust (VPT) in Voluntown, Connecticut (qv).

1992 - Portuguese Navigators Monument, Brenton Point, Newport, Rhode Island (USA). "Oceanfront monument celebrating world navigators." "Representative of an armillary sphere, an ancient navigational instrument used by the exploreres and still displayed today on the flag of Portugal." "Sphere representing the three fourths of the world that the Portuguese navigators discovered." Aproved by the Chistopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission in 1988.

October 2, 1994 - Pacifist Memorial, Peace Abbey, Sherborn, Massachsetts (USA). Six radiating brick walls surrounding a statue of Mahatma Gandhi by Ludo Goudjabidze. The walls contain the names of and quotations from famous pacifists. Dedcated on 125th anniversary of Gandhi's birth. Entry #471 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

July 23, 1998 - "Eartha," DeLorme, Interstate-95, Yarmouth , Maine (USA). "World's largest revolving/rotating globe." Entire surface is composite of satellite imagery. Visied by EWL.

Date? - Yushien / Japanese Peace Garden, between Kirby and Webster Halls, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts (USA). Recognizes the special relationship between Doshisha University & Amherst College.

April 30, 2000 - Sugihara Memorial Garden, Temple Emeth, Chestnut Hill, South Brookline, Masschusetts (USA). The conservative Jewish temple holds an annual Sugihara Memorial Concert. Shiune Sugihara [1900-1986] was a Japanese diplomat who helped thousands of Jews leave the Soviet Union while serving as consul of the Empire of Japan in Lithuania.

2000 - "Freedom Schooner Amistad," New Haven, Connecticut (USA). La Amistad (Spanish for "Friendship") was a ship taken over in July 1839 by African captives being transported from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba. The Africans & the ship were later captured off Long Island by the US Revenue Cutter Service, La Amistad became a symbol in the movement to abolish slavery, and a US Supreme Court case over the status of the Africans took place in 1841, as importation of slaves into the US had been prohibited since 1808." "In 1998-2000, Mystic Seaport built a recreation christened "Freedom Schooner Amistad." The ship's mission is to educate the public on the history of slavery, discrimination, and civil rights. Her homeport is New Haven, where the Amistad trial took place. She also travels to other port cities for educational opportunities."

2002? - Peace Monument, Kellogg Hubbard Library, Montpelier, Vermont (USA). "A high quality youth Service Learning project proposed by Joseph Gainza from the American Friends Service Committee."

June 2002 - Piedmont Peace Wall, Austin & Newbury Streets, Worcester, Massachusetts (USA). "12 ft. x 5 ft. Created [by Hillary Sloate Mosaics of Washington, DC] with Piedmont neighborhood residents. Thank you Worcester Common Ground, Pleasant St. Network Center, RC Rheault Construction, & Tom Lewis. Worcester T & G. Restored summer 2008."

2003 - Peace Garden, Brandeis University, Walham, Massachusetts (USA). Dove mosiac is now the logo of the university's Peace, Conflict & Coexistence Studies program.

September 23, 2004 - "Garden of Peace Memorial," Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Commemorates all victims of homicide. Middle image shows "Ibis Ascending" ("a skyward sculpture representing hope").

In Progress - "Big Book: Pages for Peace Project", Groton-Dunstable Regional School District, Groton, Massachusetts (USA). "In October 2004, eight fifth grade students started making a book filled with student literary offerings that would be accepted into the Guinness ,Book of World Records. Today, members of the "Bookmakers and Dreamers Club" ae well on their way to creating the world's largest book - and to focus its subject on world peace. Each page will be 12 feet tall by 10 feet wide. Hundreds of liters of ink will be required to cover 90-square feet on each of 500-double sided pages." The students recently received letters from Blase Bonpane, Howard Zinn, Danny Schechter, Leslie Cagan, Dahr Jamail, Lucinda Marshall, Kathy Kelly, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Cathy Hoffman, Sayre Sheldon, Helen Caldicott & Desmond Tutu. They have also heard from Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou & Martin Sheen, along with hundreds of everyday people.

May 31, 2008 - "Million Penny Project," Groton-Dunstable Middle School, Groton, Massachusetts (USA). Clear acrylic 5x6 foot container filled 2 feet deep with 1,500,000 US pennies, representing each of the 1,500,000 Jewish children killed during the Holocaust. Inspired by the paper clip project in Whitwell, Tennessee (qv), students of teacher Niki Rockwell began collecting pennies in 2006. Donations were received from Polish Holocaust survivor Norman Salsitz, Russian Jewish descendent A. Raymond Tye, and many others. Info & image courtesy of Jayme Kulesz.

Future - "Peace Offering," Artist's studio, Hopkinton, Massachusetts (USA). Bench in form of a dove with outstretchd hands and the tail of a hawk (representing hostility). By Michael Malfano. "This sculpture represents some of the many aspects of attaining peace. It is a expression of Michael's Soka Gakkai Buddhist practice, with the intention of contributing to peace and culture." (5'7" x 2'9" x 1'7" Bronze, $25,000, Ltd. Ed. of 25, Resin, $6,000, Ltd. Ed. of 100)

Future? - "Building Peace One Piece at a Time", Studio of David Fichter, 20 Worcester Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA). Project by students of muralist David Fichter. Intended for permanent installation? See two peace murals by Fichter in Atlanta, Georgia (USA).