What better way to memorialize Polish (and American Revolutionary War) hero Tadeusz Kościuszko than with a 35 meter high mound built by grateful volunteers? Kościuszko, a close friend of Thomas Jefferson, was chief engineer of the Continental Army. After contributing to many American victories, including Saratoga, he was promoted to general and given a nice land grant. But instead of kicking back, Kościuszko returned to Poland, first as a farmer, then later as a general and leader of an uprising against Russian occupation. There are no bigger heroes in Polish history.
When a Polish explorer became the first European to reach the top of Australia’s highest mountain, he named it Mount Kosciuszko. Supposedly, there was a resemblance between the top of the mountain, and our beloved mound pictured here.
Check out what the mound looks like from the air:
- Aerial view of Kosciuszko mound
