Referred to as Brooklyn’s most important monumental public artwork and a New York City landmark, the Soldier’s and Sailor’s Memorial Arch in Grand Army Plaza is dedicated to the men who fought in the Union forces during the Civil War. One of the most notable attractions in the city, it has come to mean something much more for Brooklyn and the surrounding community.
“To the Defenders of the Union”
While plans for Prospect Part began to be formulated in the 1860s, the idea for the memorial was first proposed by the mayor of Brooklyn in the 1880s. It became a reality when veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic tried to compel subscriptions for its construction, even though those efforts did not generate enough revenue. The state of New York ended up having to fund the rest of the project. The 1892 completion of the Arch began its transformation into an icon.
Modeled after the Arch of Titus in Rome and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the memorial arch is 80 feet wide and 80 feet high, with an archway nearly 50 feet high and 35 feet wide. The phrase, “To the defenders of the Union 1861-1865” is prominently displayed up top. Carved medallions represent several different Army and Navy corps in which Brooklyn men served during the Civil War.
Three allegorical sculptural groups define the piece. Once represents the Army, showing a man in an elegant officer’s uniform, leading the charge with a raised saber. On the other side is a piece representing the Navy, with an officer pointing in one direction and holding a megaphone rather than a sword. At the top is the Quadriga which features Columbia, riding in her chariot drawn by four galloping horses. Winged victories are on either side, sounding the trumpets of her triumph. The piece represents the triumphal progress of the United States after the Civil War.
An unofficial symbol of Grand Army Plaza, the piece was designated a landmark in 1973 and has since been depicted across the city in various ways. Appearing on everything from subway maps to tourist memorabilia, the Arch highlights what it can mean for a monument to become an icon.
Victory Personified
Created as a monument to the Union’s victory and sacrifices during the Civil War as well as the efforts to reunify the country, the Solider’s and Sailor’s Memorial Arch is very much of a time for the city and country. By personifying these efforts in such a powerful way though, the piece has become an icon that connects audiences in the present to the past and future, highlighting what it can mean for a landmark to become something that resonates in the hearts and minds of audiences across multiple eras.
