Major John André Monument

Major John André Monument
Major John André Monument
Location 42 Andre Hill, Tappan, New York
Coordinates 41°1′17″N 73°57′17″W / 41.02139°N 73.95472°W / 41.02139; -73.95472Coordinates: 41°1′17″N 73°57′17″W / 41.02139°N 73.95472°W / 41.02139; -73.95472
Area less than one acre
Built 1879
Architect Taseman & Co.; Olmstead, B.S.
NRHP reference # 06001001[1]
Added to NRHP November 8, 2006

Major John André Monument, also known as the Site of Major John André's Hanging and Burial, is a historic monument located at Tappan in Rockland County, New York. It is a gray granite monument erected in 1879 and approximately 40 inches square and 58 inches tall. It is located in a circular plot approximately 31 feet in diameter. It commemorates the site of the hanging of Major John André on October 2, 1780.[2]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[1]

The monument was constructed in 1879 by millionaire Cyrus W. Field. It was dedicated on October 2, 1879.[2]

The monument caused quite a bit of controversy when it was first constructed. It was vandalized, and then had its base blown up twice by persons who felt that a monument to a British spy was an insult to George Washington. For this reason a bronze tablet was later added to commemorate the bravery of Washington and his generals during a crisis of the war.[2]

There were three attempts to destroy the monument:[2]

  • On February 22, 1882, the monument was hacked and mutilated by George Hendrix, of New York City.
  • On March 30, 1882 at 11:35 PM, an explosion slightly damaged the monument.
  • On November 3, 1885 at 10:00 PM, an explosion destroyed the iron fence surrounding the monument and toppled the monument.

After Cyrus Field's death, his heirs refused to pay the taxes of $6.38 on the property. George Dickey of Nyack bought the land in a tax auction in October 1895. Mr. Dickey sold the land to the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society for $250 on November 13, 1905.[3] After the Society disbanded in 1983, the property was conveyed to Rockland County NY.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-04-01. Note: This includes Nancy J. Goblet and William E. Krattinger (November 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Major John André Monument" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  3. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=ZqBJAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=%22andre+monument%22+1904&source=bl&ots=kJan5YXYTD&sig=e1VfMP6Hdh9wTodNqD378Zfghow&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjjieq81OTVAhUI34MKHcRlDR8Q6AEISjAK#v=onepage&q=%22andre%20monument%22%201904&f=false
  4. ↑ http://rocklandgov.com/departments/environmental-resources/county-parks-and-dog-runs/andre-monument/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.