Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Portland, Maine) explained

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Location:Monument Square, Portland, Maine, United States
Designer:Franklin Simmons (statue)
Richard Morris Hunt (base)
Material:Bronze
Granite (base)
Dedicated:August 31, 1910
Dedicated To:United States Army and United States Navy who died in the American Civil War
Type:Statue
Coordinates:43.6574°N -70.2589°W

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (also known as "Our Lady of Victories")[1] is a monumental statue located in Monument Square, Portland, Maine, United States. Dedicated on October 28, 1891,[2] it honors "those brave men of Portland, soldiers of the United States army and sailors of the navy of the United States who died in defense of the country in the late civil war".[3] The monument's base has the inscription Portland: To Her Sons Who Died for The Union.

It is a bronze statue mounted on a granite base, depicting a female figure, clad in armor and covered by flowing robes. She is holding a furled flag in one hand and a mace and shield in the other. The figure is an allegorical representation of Victory. On two sides of the base stand bronze groups of three sailors and three soldiers.[4] On the northern side, the central figure is Brigadier Francis L. Vinton of Fort Preble. Maine sailors are honored on the opposite side, with Admiral David G. Farragut being the central figure.[5]

The sculpture was created by Maine sculptor Franklin Simmons; the base was designed by New York City architect Richard Morris Hunt. Portland architect Francis H. Fassett selected the site's original landscaping. The local Grand Army of the Republic lodge raised sufficient funds for to pay for the monument. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1998.

The monument stands on the former location of Portland's Market House, which was built in 1825. It was modified in 1833 to become Portland's first city hall.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Portland, ca. 1900 . 2024-04-11 . Maine Memory Network . en.
  2. News: Tobin . Michael . October 22, 2011 . A monument of malcontent? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120403093456/http://portlanddailysun.me/node/29507 . 3 April 2012 . 22 October 2011 . Portland Daily Sun.
  3. https://books.google.com/books?id=wzQ4AAAAIAAJ&dq=Portland+Soldiers+%26+Sailors+Monument&pg=PA263 Acts and resolves passed by the ... Legislature of the state of Maine
  4. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=98000308}} NRHP nomination for Portland Soldiers and Sailors Monument ]. 2016-02-24 . National Park Service.
  5. Book: Ledman, Paul J. . Walking Through History: Portland, Maine on Foot . Next Steps Publishing . 2016 . 978-0-9728587-1-7 . 3.