The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch is a notable memorial to 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...

 located in Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

. It was the first permanent triumphal arch

Triumphal arch

A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...

 in America, and honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the war, and the 400 who died for the Union.

The arch's first conception dates from October 21, 1879, when a committee was formed, with a competition sponsored in 1881. Commission was eventually given to architect George W. Keller

George W. Keller

George Keller , was an American architect and engineer. He enjoyed a diverse and successful career, and was sought for his designs of bridges, houses, monuments, and various commercial and public buildings. Keller's most famous projects, however, are the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch in...

. It was dedicated on September 17, 1886. The tower statues (completed 1894) were carved by Albert Entress. Total cost was about $60,000. When the arch was rehabilitated in 1986–1988, its original terra cotta finial angels were replaced by the current bronze angels.

The arch is made of brownstone

Brownstone

Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...

 from Portland, Connecticut

Portland, Connecticut

Portland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,732 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place . It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown....

, in Gothic style, and composed of two medieval towers joined by a classical frieze

Frieze

thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...

. The north frieze, by Samuel James Kitson

Samuel James Kitson

Samuel James Kitson was a fine arts sculptor active in the United States from about 1876 to 1906. He maintained studios in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. Most of his statuary were executed in marble. Many were religious in nature. His work consisted of full body statues, head and...

, tells the story of war, with on the right, a figure of General Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...

 surveying his troops and on the left, marines jumping from a boat to rush the Confederates. The south frieze, by Caspar Buberl

Caspar Buberl

Caspar Buberl was an American sculptor. He is best known for his Civil War monuments, for the terra cotta relief panels on the Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio , and for the -long frieze on the Pension Building in Washington, D.C..-Biography:Born in Königsberg, Bohemia, Caspar Buberl (1834 –...

, tells the story of peace, with a central female allegorical figure representing the City of Hartford, surrounded by her citizens welcoming soldiers home. Both were fabricated by the Boston Terra Cotta Company.

Spandrel symbols identify the four military services: the anchor for the Navy, the crossed cannon for the Artillery, crossed sabers for the Cavalry, and crossed rifles for the Infantry. Six sculptural figures, each 8 feet tall, adorn the towers - a farmer, blacksmith, mason, student, carpenter, and African-American male breaking bondage's chains. Each tower is topped by a bronze angel, one playing a trumpet, the other cymbals. The ashes of architect Keller and his wife Mary are interred in the tower.

A tablet on the southeast tower reads:
The southwest tablet reads: