Soldiers' Monument (Freeport, Illinois)

The Soldiers' Monument is an American Civil War memorial located at the northern corner of Galena Avenue and Stephenson Street in Freeport, Illinois. General Smith D. Atkins designed the monument, which was erected in 1871. The limestone obelisk monument is 83 feet (25 m) tall; a statue of Victory originally topped the monument, but it was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1960. Marble tablets at the base of the memorial listed the names of Stephenson County's Civil War casualties; these were reversed and covered by bronze plaques in 1924 to allow space to list all of the county's Civil War veterans. Four 7-foot (2.1 m) statues were located at the corners of the base, which were replaced by identical replicas in 1924. The statues represent soldiers from each major branch of the Union military: the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Navy.[2]

Soldiers' Monument
Location15 N. Galena Ave., Freeport, Illinois
Coordinates42°17′52″N 89°37′19″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1871 (1871)
ArchitectAtkins, Gen. Smith D.
NRHP reference No.98000461[1]
Added to NRHPJune 1, 1998

The monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1998.[1]

Replacement of the Victory statue

After several years of fundraising by the Civil War Monument Fund, over $120,000 was raised to replace the destroyed victory statue.[3] The efforts of the group and many local donors culminated in the repair of the monument and the replacement of the statue on December 4, 2015. Vincent Tolpo, a local artist, was contracted to recreate the Victory statue.[4]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Stadermann, Ellen S. (July 21, 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Soldiers' Monument" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  3. Vela, Susan. "Victory statue delivered to Soldiers Monument in downtown Freeport". Journal Standard. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  4. "Victory". www.monumentfund.org. Retrieved 2016-06-07.


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