The Signer's Monument, (sculpture).

The Signer's Monument, (sculpture).

Gow, John N., sculptor.

French, Robert, designer.

The Signer's Monument, (sculpture).

Hall and Walton Monument, (sculpture).

Dedicated July 4, 1856.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: Stone Mountain granite and white marble; Base: Stone Mountain granite.

Sculpture: approx. H. 44 ft. x W. 6 ft. 6 in.; Base: approx. H. 3 ft. x W. 12 ft. 6 in.

(On front lower right of relief, incised lettering:) JOHN N. GOW AUGUSTA (On relief, raised lettering:) CONSTITUTION/WISDOM/ JUSTICE/MODERATION/HALL. GWINNETT. WALTON.

A tall obelisk composed of granite and marble blocks. On the lower front of the obelisk is a square relief depicting the United States eagle and a row of stars above a small pavilion festooned with banners. The pavilion has a domed roof and is adorned with three columns. Inside the pavilion is a Colonial gentleman and a stately building with a tree standing next to it. The obelisk rests on a wide base surrounded by plants.

Figure male -- Full length

Dress -- Historic -- Eighteenth Century Dress

Animal -- Bird -- Eagle

Architecture -- Other -- Gazebo

Landscape -- Tree

Landscape -- Building

Outdoor Sculpture -- Georgia -- Augusta

Administered by City of Augusta, Trees and Parks Department, 1568 Broad Street, Augusta, Georgia 30904

Located 551 Greene Street, across from courthouse, Augusta, Georgia

A nearby historical marker reads: The Signers' Monument/Dedicated July 4, 1848, in honor of the signers of the Declaration/of Independence for Georgia: George Walton, Lyman Hall and/Button Gwinnett. The first two lie buried in crypts beneath/this shaft. The burial place of Gwinnett, whose body was to/have been reinterred here, has never been found./George Walton, born in Virginia, settled in Georgia, and was a/Colonel in the Revolutionary Army, twice Governor of Georgia,/Judge of Superior Court and Chief Justice of Georgia, six times/elected to Congress and served one term as United States Senator;/wounded and captured by British at Savannah./Dr. Lyman Hall, born in Connecticut, was one of the group of/ardent revolutionaries from Midway, Georgia, who helped lead/Georgia into open rebellion in 1776. He represented Georgia/in the Continental Congress./Button Gwinnett, born in England, settled in Savannah shortly/before the Revolution and was a magnetic and fiery figure in/the early days of the War. He was President of Georgia in/March, 1777. A quarrel with General Lachlan McIntosh, arising/out of the ill-fated expedition to Florida, resulted in a duel/in May, 1777, on the outskirts of Savannah in which Gwinnett/was mortally wounded./GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1956.

SOS! surveyor reports a dedication date of July 4, 1856, but a nearby plaque lists July 4, 1848 as dedication date. A related article in IAS files from the Augusta Chronicle, Bicentennial Edition, Part 4, Aug. 11, 1985, pg. 6, reports that the cornerstone was laid and Walton and Dr. Hall's remains interred there on July 4, 1848. For related reading see Marguerite F. Fogleman's "Historical Markers and Monuments of Richmond County," Augusta, GA: Richmond County Historical society, 1986. The sculpture cost $3,000.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Georgia survey, 1994.

Augusta Chronicle, Bicentennial Edition, Part 4, Aug. 11, 1985, pg. 6.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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