Versions: Bennington Battle Monument

Over the years, a popular building or monument will have multiple versions of souvenir replicas made. I have 3 different versions of the Bennington Battle Monument and I’ve also seen 2 different wooden versions in collections. Makers use a variety of materials, styles and scale ratios when producing replicas. In the photo above, the small white version with a green base is lead and from the 1930’s. The center version is pewter and from the 1990’s. The gold version is pot metal and is mounted to a flat metal disk to give it stability. Dedicated in 1891, the Bennington Battle Monument stands over 306 tall and is the tallest man-made structure in Vermont. From the observation-level at 200 feet, you can can see land from the states of Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts. It was built to commemorate the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington during which General John Stark successfully defeated two detachments of General Burgoyne's invading British army in 1777. Constructed of Sandy Hill Dolomite, a blue-gray magnesian limestone containing numerous fossils, it was designed by J. Phillip Rinn.