Civil War Memorial (Adrian, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
The Civil War Memorial is a marble monument
situated in the center of Memorial Park in Adrian
, Michigan
. The monument was designated as a Michigan Historic Site
on August 13, 1971 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places
on June 29, 1972. It was unveiled on July 4, 1870 to commemorate soldiers from Adrian who died in the American Civil War
(1861–1865).
The Civil War Memorial ties together the cities of Adrian and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The column used in the monument was originally one of the six marble columns on the eastern facade of the former Bank of Pennsylvania
building in Philadelphia. The bank building and the column itself were built in 1799. The Bank of Pennsylvania building, which was considered one of the first examples of Greek Revival architecture
in the United States, was demolished in 1868. With Congressional permission, one of the six columns was purchased by the city of Adrian from the bank prior to its destruction. It remains the only surviving piece of the original Bank of Pennsylvania building.
Architect and sculptor Benjamin H. Latrobe created the monument at a cost of $10,000. The monument was unveiled in Memorial Park on July 4, 1870 by the Adrian Soldiers’ Monument Association. It was the second such commemorative monument erected in Lenawee County
following the war — the first being a cemetery monument erected in nearby Franklin Township
. The column rests on top of a concrete octagonal pedestal, and each side contains a bronze tablet inscribed with the names of 84 fallen soldiers and the regiment to which they belonged. The column itself is surmounted with a metal urn
. The inscription on the base of the pedestal reads, “1870. Erected by citizens of Adrian in memory of our fallen soldiers. By such as these was our Union saved in the great struggle of 1861–1865.”
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
situated in the center of Memorial Park in Adrian
Adrian, Michigan
As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The monument was designated as a Michigan Historic Site
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is in charge of the listing of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of Michigan, including buildings, lighthouses, bridges, historic districts, and many other properties deemed important to the history of Michigan...
on August 13, 1971 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 29, 1972. It was unveiled on July 4, 1870 to commemorate soldiers from Adrian who died in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865).
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The column used in the monument was originally one of the six marble columns on the eastern facade of the former Bank of Pennsylvania
Bank of Pennsylvania
The Bank of Pennsylvania was established on July 17, 1780, by Philadelphia merchants to provide funds for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
building in Philadelphia. The bank building and the column itself were built in 1799. The Bank of Pennsylvania building, which was considered one of the first examples of Greek Revival architecture
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
in the United States, was demolished in 1868. With Congressional permission, one of the six columns was purchased by the city of Adrian from the bank prior to its destruction. It remains the only surviving piece of the original Bank of Pennsylvania building.
Architect and sculptor Benjamin H. Latrobe created the monument at a cost of $10,000. The monument was unveiled in Memorial Park on July 4, 1870 by the Adrian Soldiers’ Monument Association. It was the second such commemorative monument erected in Lenawee County
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
following the war — the first being a cemetery monument erected in nearby Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan
Franklin Township is a civil township of Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,939 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
. The column rests on top of a concrete octagonal pedestal, and each side contains a bronze tablet inscribed with the names of 84 fallen soldiers and the regiment to which they belonged. The column itself is surmounted with a metal urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
. The inscription on the base of the pedestal reads, “1870. Erected by citizens of Adrian in memory of our fallen soldiers. By such as these was our Union saved in the great struggle of 1861–1865.”