The folly was erected in 1900, in memory of George Bancroft, a native of Worcester and a politician, historian, and statesman.

The tower was designed by Worcester architects Earle and Fisher,[2] and cost about $15,000 to build.

[3] Bancroft Tower is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It is a two-story stone structure, built of boulders and cobbles, with a rock-faced granite exterior.

[3] The Bancroft tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1980.