So often we get asked, “What is that monument over there?”

If you’ve ever come to visit us before, you know the one we mean. Just across the street from the Hornsby House Inn stands a huge 84 ft edifice overlooking the York River. It’s a beautiful structure that has become a landmark here in Yorktown, and we’re lucky enough to see it from our own windows, but what is its significance? Whether you’re a frequent visitor of the Inn or a local on the way to the Riverfront, we hope this little dose of history enriches your experience even more. Plus, keep reading to see why we at the Hornsby House have a particular connection with it…

HISTORY

The monument is actually called the Yorktown Victory Monument, and commemorates British General Cornwallis’s surrender to the Franco-American alliance at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. This battle was such a huge turning point in the Revolutionary War, and though some smaller battles at sea and elsewhere took place after this surrender, historians quote this date as the end of fighting in America during the war. Negotiations for peace began the next year, and finally on September 3, 1783 the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially naming the United States as an Independent nation.

It seems the American government knew the significance of this battle, for just ten days after the surrender Congress put forward a resolution to build a monument on the site:

“…adorned with emblems of the alliance between the United States and his Most Christian Majesty; and inscribed with a succinct narrative of the surrender of earl Cornwallis to his excellency General Washington, Commander in Chief of the combined forces of America and France…”

However, it took a hundred years for such a monument to come about! There were new pushes and proposals to build it in 1834 and 1836, but due to financial constraints, especially with the construction of the Washington Monument in D.C., the project was put off. As the Centennial of Yorktown approached, though, interest began to grow, and on October 18, 1881, almost 100 years to the day, the cornerstone was laid.

CONSTRUCTION AND SYMBOLISM

The monument is made of granite from Hallowell, Maine, and took nearly three years to complete. The design of the monument is broken down into three main sections: the base, podium, and column.

–The base has four sides with inscriptions detailing the events that took place surrounding the monument, including the siege at Yorktown, the alliance with France, and the peace treaty with England. Above each side on the pediments (the triangular pieces) are symbols of nationality, war, alliance, and peace.

-The podium contains thirteen female figures, reminiscent the original thirteen colonies. If you look closely you can see that while each is entirely unique, the women are standing hand-in-hand, a symbol of unity. Beneath them is written, “One country, one constitution, one destiny.”

-The column not only accomplishes the grandeur of the monument, for it contains most of the height, but symbolizes all of the states at the time of construction. Thirty-eight stars, one for each state, adorn the sides of the column. On top, of course, is Lady Liberty herself, standing as an emblem of “a proof of the possibility of a government of the people, by the people, for the people.” (so said by Congress in the official guidelines in 1880).

Now, you might notice that Lady Liberty is wearing a strange sort of hat. That’s actually a lightning rod! This became a part of the design after the monument was struck by lightning in 1942 and again in 1990, both times resulting in constructive repairs to Lady Liberty.

THE “KEEPER OF THE MONUMENT”

This is where we have a particular fondness for the Yorktown Victory Monument. William P. Craighill, one of the U.S. Army Engineers on the project, wrote in his report to Congress on the completion of the monument that, “…it seems necessary to make provision for the accommodation of a watchman, as the location is isolated…” and for some time afterward, one man from the army was positioned as the “keeper of the monument”. However, housing and a permanent position could not be secured for this watchman, and eventually the job ceased to be. With time, though, the location became less and less isolated, as anyone who has visited Yorktown knows.

Today, we at the Hornsby House Inn are the closest thing to a “keeper of the monument” as we are positioned just feet away across Main Street. We like to think that every time someone asks us, “What does that big monument mean?” we are passing on a piece of Yorktown history, and thereby keeping the monument’s significance alive and well.

To learn more about the victory at Yorktown, click here!

To learn more about the history of the monument, click here!

Plus check out these lovely photographs of Sheri and Mike who had their wedding here at the Hornsby House Inn!

Have you visited the Yorktown Victory Monument yet? Let us know what you think!