Battleship Maine Monument - Bangor, Maine - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

View waymark gallery

Battleship Maine Monument - Bangor, Maine

in Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures

Posted by:  T0SHEA

19T E 517888 N 4960467

Battleship Maine Monument is within Davenport Park located at the NW corner of Main Street and Cedar Street. The mysterious sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba, sparked the Spanish-American War. You can visit at any time.

Dedicated in 1922; Shield and Scroll of USS Maine is one of the most outstanding displays in Maine and accompanying the memorial are two plaques honoring those who served in the Spanish-American War and World War II.

USS Maine Shield and Scroll

Battleship Maine Monument is comprised of a triangular shaped granite structure to which is affixed the bronze shield and scroll work that was recovered in 1912 from the battleship USS MAINE. The monument is surmounted by a bronze light standard that is crowned by an eagle.

The monument, which is 12' long on each side, is formed of ashlar granite blocks that rest on a granite plinth and are capped by a slightly projecting cornice (the upper edge has recently been covered with stainless steel as has the top of the structure). The edges are slightly battered, and the overall form depicts the prow of a ship.

Affixed to the leading edge of the structure is the shield and partially replicated scrolls that were salvaged from the USS MAINE in Havana Harbor. A recent restoration of these decorative features under the supervision of a professional conservator has resulted in the red, white, and blue color of the shield with gold borders, and the deep red, green, and bronze color in the scrolls. Affixed to the front of the plinth is a bronze plaque that bears the following inscription:

TO THE MEMORY OF
THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
OF THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
1898
SHIELD AND SCROLLS RECOVERED FROM WRECKAGE
OF U.S.S. MAINE
BLOWN UP HAVANA HARBOR, CUBA
FEBRUARY 15, A.D. 1898
ERECTED BY
THE CITY OF BANGOR
A.D. 1922
The light standard consists of a tall plinth, a fluted shaft, and a stylized capital that supports an entablature to which are attached two arms that each hold one suspended globe lamp. The eagle is attached to the central shaft,whereas short finials surmount the arms.
Source: National Register of Historic Places