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Water Street at corner of  Leyden Street
Plymouth, MA
http://www.ocmayflower.org/plymouth.htm

statue.jpgRight across the street from the  Plymouth Rock is a beautiful statue of a Pilgrim woman who is standing in the middle of a water fountain. The Pilgrim woman in the middle of the water fountain is located in an area with some gardens and paved paths with benches along the way that visitors can sit on just to enjoy the view, admire the statue, take a break or escape from the hot sun in a shaded area.

staue-not-accessible.jpgI’ve often wanted to go into this garden area and see the statue of the Pilgrim woman but haven’t been able to for it is not at all wheelchair accessible. It has a concrete step leading to this area and my wheelchair isn’t able to get up this step. The concrete step looks like it is newly constructed so my friends and I can’t understand why a step was built instead of a cement slope like so many other places along the waterfront have built to ensure their places are fully accessible to all.

plymouth-globe-003.jpgToday when my friends and I were walking along the waterfront, they went up the step to see exactly what this statue of a Pilgrim woman was. They told me that the engraved lettering around this statue stated: Erected by International Society Daughters of the American Revolution in memory of the heroic Women of the Mayflower 1620.

plymouth-globe-004.jpgWe researched this on the web once we got back home and are quite sure the statue of the Pilgrim woman is the Pilgrim Maiden Statue. It was dedicated by the National Society of New England Women to honor the English women for the courage and devotion they showed to help make a new nation.

I give the International Society Daughters of the American Revolution ZERO STARS for not placing the Pilgrim Maiden Statue in an accessible setting for all to see. I also give ZERO STARS to the foundation who recently had the step leading to the Statue replaced with a newer constructed  step instead of a slope that would have made the statue accessible for persons in wheelchairs. There is a fountain that one can throw coins in. I asked my friend to throw a coin in for me today and my wish was that all places are one day accessible to all!