Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution is a historic site in Pennsylvania, at a modelled elevation of 10 m. Diamond Rock Hill stands 188 m to the west-northwest, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is Washington Square, a park less than a tenth of a mile away. Blue Route passes 9.6 miles off. 30 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution, is a war memorial located within Washington Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The memorial honors the thousands of soldiers who died during the American Revolutionary War, many of whom were buried in mass graves in the square. The tomb and Washington Square are part of Independence National Historical Park. The memorial was first conceived in 1954 by the Washington Square Planning Committee, and was completed in 1957. The monument was designed by architect G. Edwin Brumbaugh and includes an eternal flame and a bronze cast of Jean Antoine Houdon's statue of George Washington as the monument's centerpiece. The tomb includes remains which were disinterred, after archeological examination, from beneath the square. The remains are that of a soldier, but it is uncertain if he was Colonial or British. An unknown number of bodies were buried beneath the square and the surrounding area. Remains are still occasionally found during construction and maintenance projects. Engraved in the side of the tomb are these words:
"Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness" "The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts of common dangers, suffering and success." (Washington Farewell Address, Sept. 17, 1796) "In unmarked graves within this square lie thousands of unknown soldiers of Washington's Army who died of wounds and sickness during the Revolutionary War." The plaque on the tomb reads:
"Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty."
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1957.
Wikidata Q7818658, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 9.6 mi off the Blue Route
- 23.7 mi off the Exton Bypass
- 23.7 mi off the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway, National
- 25.4 mi off the Bayshore Heritage Byway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Hawk Point · 28 mi
- Scenic Overlook - Delaware River · 29 mi
- South Overlook · 30 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Washington Square: 0.0 mi
- Independence Square: 0.2 mi
- Rose Garden: 0.2 mi
- Addison Street Park: 0.3 mi
- Bingham Court: 0.3 mi
- Commodore Barry: 0.2 mi
- George Washington: 0.2 mi
- Robert Morris: 0.2 mi
- President's House: 0.3 mi
- Washington Crossing the Delaware: 0.4 mi
- Deer: 0.2 mi
- Starman in the Ancient Garden: 0.2 mi
- The Signer: 0.2 mi
- William Penn: 0.2 mi
- Samuel Gross: 0.3 mi
- Congress Hall: 0.2 mi
- Independence Hall: 0.2 mi
- Philosophical Hall: 0.2 mi
- Old City Hall: 0.2 mi
- Liberty Bell Center: 0.2 mi
- Magnolia Garden: 0.2 mi
- Thomas Jefferson Garden: 0.2 mi
- Signer's Garden: 0.2 mi
- 18th Century Garden: 0.3 mi
- Benjamin Rush Garden: 0.3 mi
- Liberty Bell: 0.2 mi
- Second Bank of the United States: 0.2 mi
- Carpenters' Hall: 0.3 mi
- First Bank of the United States: 0.3 mi
- City Tavern: 0.4 mi
- Centennial Arboretum: 4.1 mi
- Cadwalader Tract: 7.8 mi
- Upper Roxborough Reservoir Park: 8.9 mi
- Schuykill Center for Environmental Education: 9.2 mi
- Williamson Road Site: 9.3 mi
- Picnic Grove: 1.8 mi
- Bird Lake Picnic Area: 2.8 mi
- Van R. Thomas Memorial Picnic Area: 3.8 mi
- Picnic Area 5: 4.2 mi
- Picnic Area 6: 4.2 mi
- Fairmount: 2.0 mi
- Lemon Hill: 2.6 mi
- Georges Hill: 4.5 mi
- Chestnut Hill: 9.5 mi
- Sugarloaf Hill: 10.1 mi
- Wawa Truck Stop: 13.4 mi
- King of Prussia Service Plaza: 15.2 mi
- Deepwater Rest Area: 24.9 mi
- Historical "Ancient Indian Spring": 7.7 mi
- West Branch Trout Creek Spring: 15.8 mi
- Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse: 8.3 mi
- Washington Lake Beach: 14.6 mi
- Monkey Rock: 14.7 mi
- Darling: 17.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Rock Hill | WNW 296° | 188 m | 20.9 mi |
| Mount Misery | WNW 300° | 176 m | 19.6 mi |
| Ebright Azimuth | WSW 249° | 137 m | 20.9 mi |
| Chestnut Hill | NNW 342° | 136 m | 9.5 mi |
| Hunting Hill | W 273° | 125 m | 15.8 mi |
| Osborne Hill | W 266° | 113 m | 24.1 mi |
| Militia Hill | NNW 340° | 104 m | 12.7 mi |
| Camp Hill | N 349° | 104 m | 12.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:05 | 18:37 | 19:13 |
| June solstice | 05:33 | 19:53 | 20:33 |
| September equinox | 06:49 | 18:24 | 19:00 |
| December solstice | 07:20 | 15:56 | 16:39 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 35 | 37 | 45 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 40 |
| Precip in | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Phila Franklin Inst, 1 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/11084813612
Day trips start here
- Philadelphia/Center City East · 0 mi
- Philadelphia · 1 mi
- Philadelphia/Center City West · 1 mi
- Philadelphia/Old City · 1 mi
- Camden · 2 mi
- Philadelphia/South · 2 mi
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