"Oliver P. Morton and Reliefs, is a public artwork by Austrian artist Rudolf Schwarz, located on the East side of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the intersection of North Capitol Avenue and West Market Street.
The Oliver P. Morton memorial is composed of three bronze statues and two bronze reliefs, one plaque on the front, and two plaques on the rear, also of bronze. The pedestals on which the statues stand are made of granite. Oliver Perry Morton stands positioned in the center, raised above the other two figures by a full figure's height. Two Union soldiers flank either side of Morton. One of those soldiers is placed on the proper left holding a bayonet and is uniformed. The other soldier is placed on the proper right holding a rifle and wearing a sword on his proper left. This figure is uniformed as well. Below the figures at the base of the pedestals are two flags crossed with olive branches, and there is an oak wreath of leaves and acorns in the center. The reliefs are located on the proper right and proper left of the statues. The relief that is proper left is facing south. It shows Oliver P. Morton giving a speech. The relief that is proper left is facing north. It shows him standing in an infirmary tent. On the proper rear of the memorial are two plaques. The top plaque is located on the pedestal of Morton. It says:
Oliver Perry Morton Born in Wayne County, Indiana">Wayne Co. Indiana August 4, 1823.
Died in Indianapolis November 1, 1877.
Aged 54 years 2 months and 25 days.
Admitted to the Bar in 1847.
Served as Governor of Indiana from January 18, 1861 to March 4, 1867.
Served as U.S. Senator from Indiana from March 4, 1867 until his death November 1, 1877.
In all ways and at all times the friend of the Union soldier. The friend of the country.
The upholder of Abraham Lincoln
The defender of the flag and the Union of the States. Patriot. Statesman.
Lover of Liberty. Heroic in heart.
Inflexible in purpose and ever to be known in history as
The Great War Governor
On the plaque below the first on the lower part of the pedestal are the words:
The annual meeting held in June, 1904, The Department of Indiana.
Grand Army of the Republic.
An organization of the honorably discharged soldier and sailors who served in the Army and Navy to preserve the integrity of the Republic of the United States of America, in the Great Civil War from A.D. 1861 to 1865, memorialized the legislature of the State of Indiana to appropriate sufficient money to erect this monument to perpetuate the memory of
Oliver Perry Morton
The Great War Governor of Indiana during that period.
As seen on the memorial label, the memorial was installed in 1907. The work was commissioned by the Indiana General Assembly.
The planning of the Morton memorial began in early 1906. On February 9, 1906, the Commission met and designs were presented by Franklin Simmons from Rome, Italy; Hugh A. Price from Chicago, Ill.; and Rudolf Schwarz from Indianapolis, Indiana, for bronze figures 12 feet high and the tablets for $9000. The designs for the pedestals were planned upon contract with John R. Lowe and if accepted, architect fees would be for the same. Plans by Lowe were accepted and after legal notice was given in the newspapers, bids for the pedestals were received on April 10, 1906. The bid of Chas. G. Blake & Co. out of Chicago, Illinois was accepted for $7,483 of Barre granite and $10,150 of Westerly granite.
Soon after, officers of the state designated the space of the memorial as "Morton Plaza." The dimensions of the pedestals were then increased and the contractors were allowed $935 in addition to the original commission price. On June 4, 1906, the contract for Schwarz to create the first part for the letters of the name "Morton" was created. The second part was for the 4.5 x 5 foot historic tablet that gives a brief history of life and services of Governor Morton. The third part of the contract was a Grand Army tablet that is two feet six inches by eight feet. The fourth part was for two bronze statues of soldiers of the Civil War, each ten feet high. All of these components of the commission paid Schwarz only $7,500.
Two balustrades were then placed on the north and south ends of Morton Plaza. The Commission chose Chas. G. Blake & Co. once again. Rudolf Schwarz received another contract to provide and furnish the materials for two bronze bas-reliefs to go on the middle columns of the balustrades for $500 apiece.
The bas-relief of the south balustrade dedicates a scene to the women of the war. It is explained as "...while some were supplying clothing and hospital supplies, others went down to the very border line of danger to help nurse back to health the sick and wounded, when possible." The north bas-relief portrays a familiar war scene of the reception of homecoming veterans.
The materials for the foundation that the pedestals sit upon is deeply laid solid masonry of limestone and cement. The pedestal itself weighs 32 tons and required 16 horses to move it from the car to the place where it is now. The bronze of the monument weighs approximately 16,000 pounds. 8,000 of that is attributed just to the Morton figure. The bronze is composed of 90% copper, 8% tin, and 2% zinc. The same makeup goes for the balustrades and reliefs.
Oliver Perry Throck Morton, Morton's grandson, unveiled the memorial at the age of 8. After the dedication, the only unfinished work that needed to be done was the paving of the plaza. Crushed granite and granite steps were installed in little time at the price of $1,139.75. The total amount that was spent on the project was $36,544.40." - Wikipedia
The monument is well maintained by the State of Indiana and it is in very good condition.