Milford, Massachusetts

Milford Irish Round Tower

This stone tower in a small town's graveyard looks as though it would be more at home in a fairy tale.

This eye-catching tower is an unexpected sight in the United States, and casts a mystical aura around an otherwise unassuming cemetery.

Round towers were common in medieval Ireland—but not so much in 19th-century America. This one pays tribute to the large number of Irish immigrants who settled in Milford, Massachusetts.

In the late 1800s, local priest Father Patrick Cuddihy built the structure as a memorial to his countrymen who had died in the town, far away from home. The Milford round tower was designed to be a replica of one of the stone watchtowers Father Cuddihy had admired as a young man in Ireland. He hoped that Irish Americans from around the country would one day make a pilgrimage to Milford to see his creation.

The white granite tower is tall and thin, with windows at the top where visitors might expect Rapunzel to be waiting for a knight to rescue her. It is believed to be one of the only towers of its kind in North America.

On one side of the tower is a small pond, and on the other is a mysterious cave that looks almost like a catacomb. A boulder lying across the entrance means it is impossible to see what might be inside. Surrounded by trees, the area is a tranquil place to explore.