Thursday, 4:30 PM
On Bunker Hill, 76 new lights will bask monument in a precise glow
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
The bluish lights that have bathed the Zakim Bridge in a sapphire glow since 2002 had an unintended consequence. It made it glaringly obvious how bad the flood lights were that shined haphazardly on the 221-foot obelisk that has stood on nearby Bunker Hill since 1843.
"The monument was essentially cast in shadows, especially as the rest of the city around it glistened," said Sean Hennessey, a public affairs officer for the National Park Service.
Much of the harsh glare from the flood lights spilled into the night sky and bounced into the windows of nearby houses. The untrained light, which made the monument look flat, didn’t even reach the tip of the obelisk.
Tonight at sundown, officials will throw the switch on a new $100,000 lighting system that will bathe the monument in a precise glow meant to accentuate its simple geometry. The lighting scheme, donated by Osram Sylvania of Danvers, is part of a $3.7 million restoration that includes handicapped accessible ramps and a new museum. On June 17, 1775, Bunker Hill was the site of the major battle of the Revolutionary War.
The monument will now be illuminated by 76 color-corrected ceramic metal halide bulbs that range in strength from 70 to 150 watts. The precise, high-efficiency bulbs will wash the obelisk in varying intensities of light, highlighting the faces and lines of the monument, said Christopher H. Ripman, who designed the new system. Commuters passing on nearby Interstate 93 at night will now actually be able to see the pyramid that caps the obelisk.
"The new lighting will make this a gateway landmark as one approaches Boston from the north." Ripman said. "I think it will be a dramatic difference."
