The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in

Bushnell Park Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut is the oldest publicly funded park in the United States. It was conceived by the Reverend Horace Bushnell in the mid-1850s at a time when the need for open public spaces was just starting to be recognized. T ...

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

, honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, including 400 who died for the Union cause. It is notable as the first permanent

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...

to be built in America.

History

The arch's conception dates from October 21, 1879, when a committee formed to sponsor a competition (held in 1881). The committee declined to approve any of the winning schemes and in 1884 awarded the commission to the Hartford based architect George Keller. He produced an eclectic design with two Norman towers flanking a Gothic arch, decorated with a classical frieze, embellished with statues modeled by the Swiss-born sculptor

Albert Entress Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

(1846-1926). The arch, built with

brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

from

Portland, Connecticut Portland is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,384 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The Portland (CDP), Connecticut, town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) ...

, was completed in 1886 at a cost of about $60,000, and dedicated on September 17, 1886. The north frieze, by

Samuel James Kitson Samuel James Kitson (January 1, 1848November 9, 1906) was a British-American sculptor active in the United States from about 1876 to 1906. He maintained studios in New York City and Boston. Many of his works were religious in nature, and he als ...

, tells a story of war with (on the right) a figure of General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

surveying his troops and (on the left) marines leaping from a boat to rush Confederate troops. The south frieze, by

Caspar Buberl Caspar Buberl (1834 – August 22, 1899) was an American sculptor. He is best known for his Civil War monuments, for the terra cotta relief panels on the Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio (depicting the various stages of James Garfield' ...

, tells a story of peace. The central female allegorical figure represents the City of Hartford, surrounded by her citizens welcoming their soldiers home. The Boston Terra Cotta Company fabricated the frieze. The four military services are symbolized in the spandrels: an anchor for the Navy; a crossed cannon for the Artillery; crossed sabers for the Cavalry; and crossed rifles for the Infantry. Six sculptural figures, each eight feet tall, adorn the towers: farmer, blacksmith, mason, student, carpenter and an African-American breaking his chains of bondage. Angels in the form of finials cap the towers, one a trumpeter, the other a cymbalist, both facing south to welcome the returning troops.''Hartford Courant'', September 18, 1866, page 1 During the restoration of 1986–1988, the original terra cotta angels were removed and replaced with copies in bronze. The ashes of architect Keller and his wife Mary are interred in the memorial.

Inscriptions

A tablet on the southeast tower is inscribed: The southwest tablet is inscribed:

Gallery

File:North frieze - Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT.jpg, North frieze. File:Frieze, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT.jpg, South frieze. File:Mason - Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT.JPG, ''The Mason''. File:Carpenter - Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT.JPG, ''The Carpenter''. File:Soldiers & Sailors Arch in Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut LCCN2012630550.tif, ''The Blacksmith'' File:Soldiers & Sailors Arch in Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut LCCN2012630575.tif, ''The Farmer''

References

*
Bushnell Park Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldiers And Sailors Memorial Arch 1885 sculptures Buildings and structures in Hartford, Connecticut George Keller buildings Triumphal arches in the United States Union (American Civil War) monuments and memorials in Connecticut