The 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Plaza, New Bedford, Mass.

PHOTO: New Bedford Historical Society

This site once housed the local recruiting station for the 54th Regiment, the first African American regiment commissioned in the North. Dedicated on February 12, 1999, the plaza commemorates the vital Civil War contributions of New Bedford's men of color who served in the 54th and 55th Regiments, the 5th Cavalry, and the Navy. A monument will be added to the site in the future.