Thomas Parr Monument, Colonial monument near Fort Marlborough in Bengkulu, Indonesia
Thomas Parr Monument is an octagonal structure near Fort Marlborough that rises about 13.5 meters (44 feet) tall, featuring three arched entrances and six Tuscan columns. Its distinctive domed roof covers roughly 70 square meters (750 square feet) and sits within a small park enclosed by trees and an iron fence.
The structure was erected in 1808 by the British East India Company to commemorate Thomas Parr, their resident administrator who died during a local uprising. This monument marks a critical moment in Bengkulu's colonial history and the tensions between colonial authority and local resistance.
The monument carries the local name 'Kuburan Bulek', which people in Bengkulu use to identify this structure in their daily references. This local naming reflects how the community has adopted the place as part of their own history and memory.
The monument sits roughly 170 meters southeast of Fort Marlborough and is easily reached from the fort. The small park around it offers shade from trees and is protected by an iron fence, making for a quiet visit.
The rounded dome shape is so distinctive that locals call it "Kuburan Bulek", meaning Round Grave, a name that has persisted through generations. This local reinterpretation shows how the structure's physical form influenced how people understood and remembered the place.
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