The Veterans War Memorial Tower was approved by the state legislature in October 1930, supported by Senator Theodore Plunkett of Adams and Governor Frank G. Allen.
A war memorial had been proposed as early as 1918 for Boston's Charles River Basin; other proposed locations included Beacon Hill and Copley Square.
After more than a decade of debate, Mount Greylock was selected as the site for the monument.
It was designed by Boston-based architects Maginnis & Walsh, and built by contractors J.G. Roy & Son of Springfield in 1931-32 at a cost of $200,000.
It takes the form of a perpetually lighted beacon to honor the state's dead from World War I (and subsequent conflicts).
The light was at the time the strongest beacon in Massachusetts, with a nighttime visible range of up to 70 miles.

The architectural design of the tower, a 93-foot (28 m) tall shaft with eight frieze-framed observation openings, was intended to have no suggestion of Utilitarianism but instead to display classic austerity.
It includes some minor Art Deco details such as the decorative eagle on the base which were designed in part by John Bizzozero of Quincy, Massachusetts [Bizzozero also designed details on the Vermont Capitol building].
Inside it is a domed chamber for a reverential shine that was intended to store tablets and war relicts from wartime units in the state's history.

Although local legislators and residents advocated for local stone to be used, it was ultimately quarried from Quincy Granite.
In part, it bears the inscription "they were faithful even unto death."
One of the inscriptions inside the monument is, "Of those immortal dead who live again in the minds made better by their presence", which is a line from a poem by George Eliot.
The translucent globe of light on top, originally illuminated by twelve 1,500 watt lights (now six), is said to be visible at night for 70 mi (110 km).
The formal dedication ceremony on June 30, 1933, by Governor Joseph B. Ely was attended by about 1,500 and broadcast nationally over NBC radio.

The Veterans War Memorial Tower was closed in 2013 due to the tower's long-standing problem with water infiltration, which caused structural damage to the granite stonework.
During colder months when moisture freezes, it expands in the cracks.
According to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, a $2.6 million restoration project was awarded to Allegrone Construction of Pittsfield that began in August 2015.
The Memorial will be rededicated by Gov. Charlie Baker and reopen to the public on July 26, 2017.
The Veterans War Memorial Tower was approved by the state legislature in October 1930, supported by Senator Theodore Plunkett of Adams and Governor Frank G. Allen. A war memorial had been proposed as early as 1918 for Boston's Charles River Basin; other proposed locations included Beacon Hill and Copley Square. After more than a decade of debate, Mount Greylock was selected as the site for the monument. It was designed by Boston-based architects Maginnis & Walsh, and built by contractors J.G. Roy & Son of Springfield in 1931-32 at a cost of $200,000. It takes the form of a perpetually lighted beacon to honor the state's dead from World War I (and subsequent conflicts). The light was at the time the strongest beacon in Massachusetts, with a nighttime visible range of up to 70 miles.
The architectural design of the tower, a 93-foot (28 m) tall shaft with eight frieze-framed observation openings, was intended to have no suggestion of Utilitarianism but instead to display classic austerity. It includes some minor Art Deco details such as the decorative eagle on the base which were designed in part by John Bizzozero of Quincy, Massachusetts [Bizzozero also designed details on the Vermont Capitol building]. Inside it is a domed chamber for a reverential shine that was intended to store tablets and war relicts from wartime units in the state's history.
Although local legislators and residents advocated for local stone to be used, it was ultimately quarried from Quincy Granite. In part, it bears the inscription "they were faithful even unto death." One of the inscriptions inside the monument is, "Of those immortal dead who live again in the minds made better by their presence", which is a line from a poem by George Eliot. The translucent globe of light on top, originally illuminated by twelve 1,500 watt lights (now six), is said to be visible at night for 70 mi (110 km). The formal dedication ceremony on June 30, 1933, by Governor Joseph B. Ely was attended by about 1,500 and broadcast nationally over NBC radio.
The Veterans War Memorial Tower was closed in 2013 due to the tower's long-standing problem with water infiltration, which caused structural damage to the granite stonework. During colder months when moisture freezes, it expands in the cracks. According to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, a $2.6 million restoration project was awarded to Allegrone Construction of Pittsfield that began in August 2015. The Memorial will be rededicated by Gov. Charlie Baker and reopen to the public on July 26, 2017.
Mount Greylock