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Cheshire, Massachusetts: Monument to the Mammoth Cheese

Replica of the cider press that made the cheese, which weighed 1,235 pounds and was presented to President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. Its critics mocked it as the "Mammoth Cheese" and the name stuck.

Cheshire Cheese Monument

Address:
Church St., Cheshire, MA
Directions:
About a half-mile east of Hwy 8 on Church St. Northeast corner of Church and School Sts.
Admission:
Free
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Cheshire Cheese Monument.

Cheshire Cheese Monument

The Cheshire Cheese Monument isn't really in honor of the Big Cheese but rather commemorates John Leland. The plaque on the monument calls him "Eloquent preacher, beloved pastor, influential patriot" and lists some of his accomplishments, concluding with "Carried every vote in Cheshire for the election of President Thomas Jefferson and presented to him on Jan. 1, 1802, in the presence of foreign diplomats, Supreme Court judges, and the Congress, The Big Cheshire Cheese weighing 1235 lbs."

But yes, as stated previously, the monument itself is a great big concrete cheese press. It's been there since 1940.

[Dean Jeffrey, 09/22/2009]

And it's a good thing it's a big cider press... or it would be completely ignored.

Cheshire Cheese Monument

A lovely commemoration of a truly big cheese. The Cheshire Cheese Monument, Cheshire, Massachusetts (Berkshires). It commemorates the making of a massive cheese which was shipped to the President of the United States, where it was displayed at the White House. While not the greatest to look at (a cast concrete cheese press), cheese-lovers may take heart that this monstrous cheese was so honored.

[Ray Coffey, 07/31/1997]

The original cider press produced a half-ton cheese which was sent to newly-elected President Thomas Jefferson in 1802! BTW, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is the name of a crusty London pub once frequented by Charles Dickens.

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Nearby Offbeat Places

Replica of the Mammoth CheeseReplica of the Mammoth Cheese, Cheshire, MA - < 1 mi.
Lighthouse Atop Mount GreylockLighthouse Atop Mount Greylock, Adams, MA - 5 mi.
Waving McKinley, Friend of the Cotton IndustryWaving McKinley, Friend of the Cotton Industry, Adams, MA - 5 mi.
In the region:
Furniture of the Hoosick Giants, Hoosick, NY - 23 mi.

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