Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Major John André Monument

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Area
  
less than one acre

NRHP Reference #
  
06001001

Added to NRHP
  
8 November 2006

Built
  
1879

Opened
  
1879

Major John André Monument

Location
  
42 Andre Hill, Tappan, New York

Architect
  
Taseman & Co.; Olmstead, B.S.

Address
  
1-, 73 Andre Hill Rd, Tappan, NY 10983, United States

Similar
  
Rockingham, The American Civil War, Bush‑Holley House, De Wint House, Walt Whitman Birthplac

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.

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

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

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.

There were three attempts to destroy the monument:

  • 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. Rockland County put the land up for auction in 1903. There were no bidders and Rockland County assumed ownership of the monument and land.

    References

    Major John André Monument Wikipedia