Mayor Michelle Wu commemorated St. Patrick’s Day and Boston’s 249th Evacuation Day at the South Boston Citizens Association’s Evacuation Day Historical Exercises Monday.
Due to inclement weather, the commemoration took place indoors at the Boys and Girls Club instead of Dorchester Heights.
The event featured a St. Patrick’s Day mass service and wreath-laying ceremony at the St. Augustine Cemetery Chapel, followed by speeches from a historian and state officials. The program concluded with the announcement of the SBCA’s poster and essay contest winners.
Evacuation Day commemorates the departure of British General William Howe and his troops from Boston’s Dorchester Heights fortification March 17, 1776, after resistance from the Continental Army.
Wu spoke about Boston’s legacy of American principles, such as freedom and democracy.
“These principles are especially important right now in a moment where there are so many who are struggling, and there are so many divided conversations about how to move forward for our country’s future,” Wu said.
Wu also highlighted the presence of these principles in present-day Boston.
“Boston has always stood for speaking our mind, doing the right thing and taking care of each other, making sure that we are defending each and every one of our community members,” she said. “Our people have been at the forefront of every generation of innovation and advancement and defining the public good.”
Wu said in order for future generations to “know where we come from and who we are,” residents have a responsibility to preserve Boston’s history.
“Almost as incredible as what happened about Dorchester Heights, nearly 250 years ago, is the fact that we are still talking about [it],” she said. “That ties us to our history and the legacy that we’re a part of.”
Former South Boston Resident Phyllis Allison, the wife of Historian and Commemoration Speaker Bob Allison, said she enjoys the participation of children in Evacuation Day activities.
“The work of getting the students involved has been done by so many of the schools, and that’s incredibly nice to see,” she said. “I love seeing the young people come up.”
David Nunes, a historian and reenactor, said he appreciated this year’s Evacuation Day commemoration but is hoping next year’s ceremony will be held at the Dorchester Heights Monument.
The monument has been undergoing renovations since September 2023 and is expected to be restored by next year, he said.
“It was a good Evacuation Day event, and I’m positive that by the 250th anniversary next year, the restoration may be complete,” Nunes said. “Honoring the Evacuation Day then will satisfy everybody’s hopes and desires to honor our American history.”
Allison also said she is looking forward to the monument’s renovations for next year’s commemoration.
“The monument has been closed for years and years,” she said. “It’s been a long time, so it’s exciting.”
Mark Powell, the public affairs specialist for the National Parks 250th Commemoration, said holidays like Evacuation Day unite Bostonians of all backgrounds.
“There are so many different types of people from this one melting pot of the Boston area that can come together and commemorate and engage in discussion and be thoughtful about what 250 years means,” Powell said.
