Soldiers Monument, (sculpture).

Soldiers Monument, (sculpture).

Coquard, Leon, 1860-1923, designer. (possibly by)

Detroit Bronze Company, founder.

Soldiers Monument, (sculpture).

Civil War Soldiers Monument, (sculpture).

1885. Dedicated Sept. 17, 1885.

Sculpture: zinc, painted; Base: concrete.

Sculpture: approx. 34 x 8 x 8 ft.; Base: approx. Diam 9 ft.

Detroit Bronze Co/Detroit, Mich (South side:) MISSION RIDGE/GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC/VETERAN 1881-1886/THE UNION/MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED/JACKSON/ATLANTA SEPT 2, 1864/YORKTOWN APRIL 4-MAY 4/1862 NEW ORLEANS APRIL 24, 1862/FARRAGUT/MONITOR VS MERIMAC MARCH 9, 1862/GARFIELD (East side:) ANTIETAM/A GOVERNMENT/OF THE PEOPLE/FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE/LINCOLN/STONE RIVER JA. 2, 1863/PORT ROYAL JAN 1, 1862/GRANT/FORT DONELSON FEBRUARY 16, 1862 (North side:) PETERSBURG/IN HONOR OF THE/SOLDIERS/FROM/KENT COUNTY/1861-1865/ERECTED 1885 WOMAN'S MISSION OF MERCY/APPOMATTOX/APRIL 8, 1865/MOBILE/MARCH 30-APRIL 12/1865/LINCOLN (West side:) WINCHESTER/EPLURIBUS UNUM/TUEBOR/SIQUAERIS PENINSULAM AMAENAM/CIRCUMSPICE/THE WAR/FOR THE UNION WAS RIGHT, ETER-/NALLY RIGHT./ GARFIELD/FAIROAKS/MAY 31-JUNE 1, 1862/VICKSBURG/JUNE 22-JULY 4, 1863/FARRAGUT/NEW ORLEANS/APRIL 24, 1862 Founder's mark appears.

A tall slender monument topped by a Civil War soldier holding his rifle in front of him. The monument is adorned with portrait reliefs of Lincoln, Grant, Farragut, and Garfield; cherubs that spout water into a small circular fountain basin; the names and dates of engagements in which Kent County soldiers fought; and quotations from Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, and Garfield. The monument is painted blue.

History -- United States -- Civil War

Portrait male -- Lincoln, Abraham

Occupation -- Law -- Lawyer

Portrait male -- Grant, Ulysses S.

Occupation -- Military -- General

Occupation -- Political -- President

Portrait male -- Farragut, David Glasgow

Occupation -- Military -- Admiral

Portrait male -- Garfield, James A.

Outdoor Sculpture -- Michigan -- Grand Rapids

Administered by City of Grand Rapids, Parks and Recreation Department, 201 Market Street, S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

Located Monument Park, Monroe Center, Fulton & Division Streets, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Leon Coquard is thought to have designed the monument because his name was on a drawing of the monument that appeared on the front page of the Daily Democrat (Grand Rapids, MI), Sept. 11, 1885. An article in Monumental News (Jan. 1913, pg. 61) discusses a proposal by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sophie de Marsac Campau Chapter, for a monument to replace the current Soldiers Monument in Monument Park.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985

Hendry, Fay L., "Outdoor Sculpture in Grand Rapids," Okemos, Michigan: iota Press, 1980.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Michigan survey, 1993.

National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, MI5011, 1989.

Hendry, Fay L., "Outdoor Sculpture in Grand Rapids," Okemos, Michigan: iota Press, 1980, pg. 57.

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

Control Number:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

Powered by SirsiDynix

About | © 2020 Smithsonian | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact

SIRIS - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System