The 'Forefather's Monument' says a lot about America and where it came from

Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, a short distance from downtown Plymouth affectionally known as "America's Hometown," can be found the largest granite statue in the United States. The statue is called the "Forefather's Monument." It was often overlooked and even unknown to locals and tourists alike. But thanks to the efforts of Leo and Nancy Martin who run the Jenny Museum, Pastor Paul Jehle of the Plymouth Rock Foundation, the documentary "Monumental" narrated by actor Kurt Cameron, and Michelle Gallagher of Proclamation House to name a few, this incredible monument to commemorate the Pilgrims and the faith that sustained them has enjoyed a rebirth of interest.

This granite monument was conceived by the Pilgrim Society which was formed in 1820 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Pilgrim landing. In 1849, the Pilgrim Society held a competition for a design and offered a $300. prize. The society choose the architectural firm of Zucker and Asborth of New York. However, the accomplished architect Hammatt Billings of Boston offered a design which was approved by the Pilgrim Society. Billings initial design was over 150 feet that included an observation tower and a museum at its base. Billings other works including Wellesley College and the Boston Athenaeum.
Billings launched a nation fund-raising campaign-- President Abraham Lincoln being one of the donors. The cornerstone of the monument was laid on August 2, 1859, It was attended by thousands of people where public prayers were offered and, a letter from President James Buchanan was read. The Civil War and the nation's postwar economy led to a decrease in donations. As a result, Billings designed a smaller model-81 feet without an observation tower and museum. It still was a massive design. Billings didn't live to see his project completed. He passed away in 1874. On August 1, 1889, the monument was dedicated with a crowd of over 12,000 on hand.
The monument's main figure is "Faith" depicted as a woman who stands at the top of the monument with a Bible in one hand and her other hand pointing to Heaven. Four statues underneath Faith are "Morality" holding the Ten Commandments, "Law," "Education," and "Liberty." The monument also contains the names of the Mayflower passengers, a marble bas relief of the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and bas reliefs of "Justice," "Mercy," "The Embarkation," "Evangelist," "Youth," "Wisdom," and "Tyranny."

"Monumental: In Search of America's Treasure":
In 2012, the documentary "Monumental: In Search of America's Treasure" was released leading to a renewed interest in the monument. From the documentary's website https://monumentalmovie.com/pages/about:
Monumental is the story of America's beginnings. Presented by Kirk Cameron, the 90-minute true story follows this father of six across Europe and the U.S. as he seeks to discover America's true "national treasure" - the people, places, and principles that made America the freest, most prosperous, and generous nation the world has ever known. Long regarded as "the land of opportunity," there's no question the tiny band of religious outcasts who founded this country hit upon a formula for success that went way beyond what they could have imagined. What formula did they discover? What motivated them to come here in the first place? More importantly, how can we apply these same foundational truths today? Monumental is heralded as "inspiring," "beautifully executed," "powerful," and "one meant to teach."
The Jenney Museum:
In 2001, Leo and Nancy Martin founded the Jenney Museum and began giving tours of the monument. Tours are available from April 15 to November 29. https://thejenney.org/our-story/

In 2021, Michelle Gallagher of Proclamation House wrote and published Forefathers Monument Guidebook https://www.proclamationhouse.org/ Michelle conducted a presentation at our annual family camp: https://youtu.be/VUFoC2hiQ6Q?si=lPZy3tAmmDhlAUaK
Teaching the next Generation in New Hampshire and beyond:
There is a recently created New Hampshire based organization called The Matrix Coalition of New Hampshire whose mission is to teach the state's students about the Forefathers Monument. Led by Deb Roux, the group's goal is to introduce the Forefathers Monument Guidebook and posters of the monument to public and private schools, hosting tours of the monument and Freedom Walks-the next one being on September 13 at the New Hampshire State House

Both Camp Constitution and The Matrix Coalition are hosting tours of the Forefathers Monument Saturday October 11--1:00 PM and Saturday October 18--10: AM. To register or more information, please E-mail me campconstitutuion1@gmail.com

Hal Shurtleff is an Army veteran who served a tour of duty with the 101st Airborne. He is also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and the director and co-founder of Camp Constitution in Alton.