The National Monument to the Forefathers commemorates the Pilgrims and honors their ideals. It is considered a companion memorial to Plymouth Rock, also located in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The cornerstone was laid in 1859 and the monument was completed in 1888.
On the main pedestal stands Faith and the seated figures recognize the principles on which the Pilgrims based the Commonwealth: Freedom, Morality, Law and Education.
The light and shadow on this brisk, late Fall day, shows off the beauty of the granite sculptures.
The sculptors were: Hammatt Billings, a Boston architect, illustrator and sculptor, who originally conceived the monument as a structure comparable to the Colossus of Rhodes. When he died in 1874, the project was then passed to his brother Joseph who, along with other sculptors including Alexander Doyle, Carl Conrads, and James Mahoney, reworked the design, although the basic components remained.
Imagine this - being given a huge block of granite and asked to carve something beautiful and compelling. Think about that - a HUGE BLOCK of GRANITE! What a talent those folks have that can do this art. Not many can. Imagine carving granite a hundred plus years ago - no fancy electric tools or Home Depots around.
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