Cole's Hill

Cole's Hill
Name	Cole's Hill
Location	Plymouth, Massachusetts
Built	1620

Cole's Hill Cole's Hill is a historic landmark in Plymouth, Massachusetts, associated with the arrival of the Mayflower and the early years of Plymouth Colony. The site is adjacent to Plymouth Rock and overlooks Plymouth Harbor, and it is recognized for its connections to the First Thanksgiving and the burial of pilgrims during the Great Mortality (1620–1621). The hill has been shaped by activities involving colonial leaders, local Indigenous peoples such as the Wampanoag, and later preservationists including members of the Pilgrim Society.

History

Cole's Hill was created and used during events following the Mayflower Compact signing and the establishment of Plymouth Colony by settlers including William Bradford, John Carver, Edward Winslow, and Myles Standish. During the first winter, deaths from scurvy and exposure led colonial leaders to select burial sites on elevated ground near Plymouth Harbor; these burials occurred contemporaneously with interactions involving Squanto and Massasoit. The hill later became associated with individuals such as John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, and it figured in disputes and town planning under the administration of the General Court (Massachusetts Bay Colony) and the Province of Massachusetts Bay. In the 18th and 19th centuries, figures like Ethan Allen]—noted for Revolutionary War actions—and organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution influenced commemorative interest, while historians including Jeremy Belknap and Samuel Eliot Morison documented colonial narratives. Preservation efforts involved municipal boards of Plymouth, Massachusetts and state agencies including the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

Physical Description and Location

Cole's Hill occupies a rocky rise south of Plymouth Rock and northwest of the Mayflower II dock in the Plymouth Waterfront Historic District. The topography includes ledge outcrops, low stone walls, and planted turf; vegetation and pathways connect to adjacent parcels like Waterfront Park and the Plymouth Waterfront. The site offers views toward Cape Cod Bay, Clark's Island, and Saquish Head. The hill sits within the jurisdiction of Plymouth County, Massachusetts and is accessible from streets such as Leyden Street and Ryder Street. Adjacent landmarks include the Pilgrim Hall Museum and the National Monument to the Forefathers.

Role in Plymouth Colony and Thanksgiving

During the colony's formative period, Cole's Hill functioned as a defensive overlook and burial ground for early settlers such as members of Captain Myles Standish's company and passengers of the Speedwell. The hill's prominence in narratives of the First Thanksgiving is tied to its proximity to planting sites and to accounts by chroniclers like William Bradford and Edward Winslow. Diplomatic meetings and food exchanges involving Massasoit and delegations from the Wampanoag are described in sources that also reference nearby gathering places including Plymouth Harbor and the settlement's principal thoroughfares. Over time, civic ceremonies and annual commemorations by groups like the Pilgrim Society (Plymouth) and veterans' organizations reinforced the hill's symbolic connection to colonial origins and thanksgiving rituals.

Burials and Archaeology

Cole's Hill is historically reported as a burial place for many who died during the winter of 1620–1621, including signatories of the Mayflower Compact and sailors from the Mayflower. Archaeological investigations and ground-penetrating studies by teams associated with institutions such as the Peabody Essex Museum, Plymouth Antiquarian Society, and university departments at Harvard University and University of Massachusetts have sought to identify graves and artifacts. Finds related to early 17th-century material culture include fragments consistent with English settler assemblages noted in comparative studies involving sites like Jamestown, Hampton (Virginia), and St. Augustine (Florida). Scholarly work has involved archaeologists such as Norman Isham and preservation reports coordinated with the National Park Service standards for historic burial grounds. The treatment of human remains and soil contexts has engaged descendant communities, including the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).

Memorials and Preservation

Over centuries, Cole's Hill has been subject to memorialization through monuments, plaques, and landscape interventions by civic bodies including the Town of Plymouth and organizations like the Pilgrim Tercentenary Committee and the United States Congress when establishing commemorative designations. Stone markers, bronze tablets, and steps constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries involved sculptors and architects influenced by figures celebrated at the National Mall and in state capitols. Preservation actions have engaged the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the National Register of Historic Places framework, and local zoning boards; fundraising efforts have included appeals to groups like the Sons of the American Revolution and philanthropic foundations in New England such as the Boston Athenaeum affiliates. Conservation strategies address tourism pressures from visitors arriving via Route 3A (Massachusetts) and cruise passengers to Plymouth Harbor.

Cultural References and Legacy

Cole's Hill appears in numerous works and has been invoked by authors, artists, and filmmakers: it is referenced in accounts by Henry David Thoreau, histories by Nathaniel Philbrick, and in guidebooks by organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Visual artists and photographers have depicted the site alongside Plymouth Rock in exhibitions at venues like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and regional galleries connected to the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The hill is included in educational curricula used by Plymouth Public Schools and collegiate courses at Boston University and UMass Boston exploring colonial America. Its legacy figures in debates involving heritage tourism managed by entities like the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce and cultural programming by the Plimoth Patuxet Museums.

Category:Plymouth, Massachusetts Category:Historic sites in Massachusetts