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Similar Maryhill Museum of Art, Maryhill State Park, Goldendale Observatory State Park, Sam Hill Memorial Bridge, Stonehenge replica | ||
Rftc maryhill stonehenge
The Maryhill Stonehenge is a replica of England's Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington. It was commissioned in the early twentieth century by businessman Samuel Hill and dedicated on July 4, 1918, as a memorial to those who had died in World War I. The memorial was completed in 1929. It is constructed of concrete.
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Maryhill stonehenge resonance
Historical significance
The Maryhill Stonehenge was the first monument in the United States to honor the dead of World War I (specifically, soldiers from Klickitat County, Washington who had died in the then still on-going war). The altar stone is placed to be aligned with sunrise on the summer solstice. Hill, a Quaker, mistakenly believed that the original Stonehenge had been used as a sacrificial site, therefore constructed the replica as a reminder that humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war. The monument was originally located in the center of Maryhill, which later burned down leaving only the Stonehenge replica. A second formal dedication of the monument took place upon its completion on May 30, 1929. Sam Hill, who died in 1931, lived long enough to see his Stonehenge completed.
The dedication plaque on this Washington Stonehenge is inscribed:
"In memory of the soldiers of Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country. This monument is erected in the hope that others inspired by the example of their valor and their heroism may share in that love of liberty and burn with that fire of patriotism which death can alone quench."
Current status
The Maryhill Stonehenge is now part of the Maryhill Museum of Art, which also includes monuments to the soldiers of Klickitat County who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
This concrete landmark is located off U.S. Highway 97, about two miles from where it enters Washington from Oregon, by crossing the Columbia River. Admission is free to visit the memorial; but donations for its continued maintenance are appreciated.