WWI Memorial Grove

The World War I Memorial Grove was dedicated in 1928, established by American Legion Post 5 who created a ceremonial place on the eastern slope of Crown Hill in Green Hill Park and planted one tree for each resident of Worcester who lost their life in the Great War, planting hundreds of maple trees in 22 orderly rows. Beneath each tree, a bronze plaque was installed, identifying the deceased service member and noting which branch of the armed services that they served in.

A view of the Memorial Grove, 1954, Photo credit: Brian McCarthy

Overtime, many of the trees had died from age or disease, with other parts of the Memorial Grove becoming overgrown or vandalized. In 2015, about 212 of the original trees remained standing, with all of the original plaques missing.

The rededication of the Memorial Grove in November of 2020 comes as a multi-year project to restore the grove and recreate its ceremonial center is completed.

The Green Hill Park Coalition and the Worcester Tree Initiative replanted over 100 trees, to restore those that had fallen, and the ceremonial center was redesigned by WPI Associate Professor Steven Van Dessel. The City of Worcester financed the complete reconstruction of the Memorial Grove, including the placement of over 300 twenty-foot tall steel posts, engraved with the names of fallen citizens.

The United States World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library designated this memorial as an official World War I Centennial Memorial.