Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch - Hartford, CT
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 41° 45.931 W 072° 40.796
18T E 692852 N 4626343
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch is located in Bushnell Park on Trinity Street south of Ford Street in Hartford.
Waymark Code: WMVWV3
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 06/05/2017
Views: 3
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, the first permanent triumphal arch erected in America, is dedicated to the men from Hartford who served in the Civil War. The arch is 116' high, 30' wide and 67' in circumference. It was create by a large team of artists: Albert Entress, Caspar Buberl, Samuel James Kitson - sculptors; George W. Keller - architect; Hiram Bissell, Augustus Budde - contractors; Boston Terra Cotta Company - fabricator. The arch was dedicated September 17, 1886.
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial is a Gothic style arch featuring two medieval towers joined by a classical frieze that encircles the arch. The north frieze depicts events of the the war. General Grant is on the far right observing battle scenes involving infantry, cavalry and marines. The south frieze depicts the peace following the war. A allegorical female figure representing the City of Hartford is in the center. To either side citizens gathered to welcome home returning soldiers. On the north side of the arch are a Navy anchor, Artillery cannons. On the south side are Calvary crossed sabers, and Infantry crossed rifles. A farmer, blacksmith, mason, student, carpenter, and African-American male breaking the chains of bondage are located in niches on the towers. Each tower is topped by a finial of a bronze angel, one playing a trumpet, the other cymbals.
On the southeast side a tablet is inscribed:
IN HONOR
OF THE MEN OF HARTFORD
WHO SERVED
AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL
ON LAND AND ON SEA
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION
THEIR GRATEFUL TOWNSMEN
HAVE RAISED THIS MEMORIAL
On the southwest side a tablet is inscribed:
DURING THE CIVIL WAR
1861-1865
MORE THAN 4,000 MEN OF HARTFORD
BORE ARMS IN THE NATIONAL CAUSE
NEARLY 400 OF WHOM
DIED IN THE SERVICE
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ERECTED 1885
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GEORGE KELLER, ARCHITECT CASPER BUBERL & SAMUEL KITSON SCULPTORS