The 221-foot granite obelisk honors the memory of the colonists who died in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. The rebels lost the battle, but nearly half the British troops were killed or wounded, a loss that contributed to the redcoats' decision to abandon Boston 9 months later. The Marquis de Lafayette, the celebrated hero of the American and French revolutions, helped lay the monument's cornerstone in 1825. He is buried in Paris under soil taken from the hill. A punishing flight of 294 stairs leads to the top. There's no elevator, and although the views of the harbor and the northern portion of the Big Dig are good, the windows are quite small. The ranger-staffed lodge at the base of the monument holds dioramas and exhibits.