The common is a rectangular area about 2.4 acres (0.97 ha) in size, out of which a smaller rectangle has been cut where City Hall is located. It is planted with mature trees, and has a network of paths as well as four major monuments. The oldest is a granite obelisk with urn designed by George F. Meacham and placed in 1867. A statue of native son, Governor of Massachusetts, and American Civil War General Nathaniel Prentice Banks, designed by Henry Hudson Kitson was placed in 1909, and a copy of “The Hiker”, a memorial to veterans of the Spanish–American War, designed by Kitson’s wife Theodora, was placed in the early 20th century. Lastly, a memorial celebrating the city’s centennial was placed in 1984.