National Register of Historic Places

Plymouth Rock

Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 30, 1970
Type
Object
Period
Listed
Ref No.
70000680

About this property

Plymouth Rock is a boulder in Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States, which was claimed to have been at the site where the Mayflower Pilgrims landed to found Plymouth Colony in December 1620. The Pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first known written reference to the rock dates from 1715 when it was described in the town boundary records as "a great rock". The first documented claim of Plymouth Rock as the landing place of the Pilgrims was made by 94-year-old Thomas Faunce in 1741, 121 years after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth. Plymouth Rock has been moved multiple times since 1620. In 1774, the rock broke in half during an attempt to haul it to Town Square in Plymouth. One portion remained in Town Square and was moved to Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1834. Over the years, people chipped away at the portion of the Rock that remained on the shoreline, removing hundreds of pounds of stone as souvenirs. The top portion of the rock was returned to the shoreline of Plymouth Harbor in 1880. The date 1620 was inscribed at that time. In 1920 the rock was completely excavated and relocated to a new location on the shoreline and a granite portico was erected over it.

Location

Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
41.95809, -70.66185

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Plymouth Rock

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Cole's Hill
Colonial
0.1 mi
Plymouth Village Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
MAYFLOWER II (square-rigged sailing ship)
Industrial
0.1 mi
Plymouth Post Office Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Old County Courthouse
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Plymouth Rock listed on the National Register?

Plymouth Rock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 30, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Plymouth Rock?

Plymouth Rock is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Plymouth Rock?

The period of significance for Plymouth Rock is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Plymouth Rock?

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