Stafford Hill Memorial
Also known as: Stafford Hill Monument
Why it's listed
Rising from an open, grassy lot near the crest of Stafford Hill in Cheshire, this round fieldstone tower was dedicated on July 4, 1927. It is 25 feet across and 25 feet tall, with eight arched entries at its base, a flat roof and a flagpole. Newton C. Bond of North Adams designed it, and the McGrath Building Company of Adams built it. Inside, a concrete crypt holds the remains and tombstone of Colonel Joab Stafford, moved there in 1927 from a small cemetery on Windsor Road. Stafford surveyed the New Providence plantation, which later became Cheshire, and settled on the site, where he kept a house, store, tavern and post office. In 1777 he led local volunteers, the Silver Greys, into the Battle of Bennington. The Berkshire Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution raised funds for the memorial and gave it to the Town of Cheshire in 1974. It honors the town's pioneer settler and Revolutionary War hero.
Significance in brief: It commemorates Colonel Joab Stafford, surveyor, first settler of New Providence (now Cheshire) and militia commander at the Battle of Bennington in 1777. It stands on the site of Cheshire's first settlement and holds his relocated grave. The nomination finds local significance under criterion B, with exceptions C (grave of a historical figure) and F (commemorative property).
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86000260, listed February 14, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Stafford Hill Rd., Cheshire |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | February 14, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000260 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1927 |
| Architect / builder | Eugene B. Bowern/Newton C. Bond (the description also names the McGrath Building Company of Adams as builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent and good. The property is town-owned and used as a park, and the form checks unoccupied. All five original bronze plaques have been removed from the interior. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.57458, -73.11584 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86000260.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7596630
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.