100 Delightful Things in Worcester 35 – Bancroft Tower

Hello and welcome back to the 2018 Rabbit Heart Poetry Film Festival’s 100 Delightful Things in Worcester Project! This year, our wonderful interns Fay, Julie, and Lori are #TeamEatYerVeggies – exploring Worcester to bring back the best of  the best for you to enjoy.

For Rabbit Heart’s 35th out of the 100 Delightfuls, the crew went up to the iconic Bancroft Tower in Salisbury Park on Bancroft Tower Road in Worcester, MA. The “crew” consisted of the Rabbit Heart interns of summer 2018, Julie Wyman, Lori Shanley, and Fay Bcharah, and also expert reader of plaques, Aisha Naseem.

As you drive through the windy and hilly road up to Bancroft Tower, you sense almost an eerie vibe, but the 56-foot high natural stone and granite tower surrounded by grass and trees uplifts the mood, and makes you want to jump out your car and check the monument out.

The castle-like building was constructed in 1900 in memory of George Bancroft, who was a native Worcester politician and historian. It was built by his friend and admirer Stephen Salisbury III.

This monument has become a sightseeing area for the people of Worcester. It has a great view of the city landscape, including the clock tower of city hall. This view is particularly beautiful in the fall and winter, when the trees have lost their leaves, leaving a clearer view of the landscape. With its greenery and unique tower, this monument is also a space high-schoolers use to take pictures for their proms.

Though you cannot go inside the tower, there have been openings in the past by a team of organized Worcester volunteers called Park Spirit. The last tour was back in October 2016; they opened it to the public for five days, and it has not opened since.

If you are ever looking for something to do that includes scenic views, historical sights, and no money at all, head to Bancroft Tower! For mroe information, about Bancroft Tower, check out this rad writeup from Roadside America.