Fodor's Expert Review Dorchester Heights Monument and National Historic Site
In 1776 Dorchester Heights hill commanded a clear view of central Boston, where the British had been under siege since the preceding year. Here George Washington set up the cannons that Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller turned soldier, and later secretary of war, had hauled through the wilderness after their capture at Fort Ticonderoga. The artillery did its job of intimidation, and the British troops left Boston, never to return. The view of Boston from the site is magnificent. Sadly, the tower is not open to the public, but the lovely park grounds are a destination on their own on a warm day.