An esplanade that runs through a main thoroughfare of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Court of Honor contains four notable monuments that celebrate distinct people, events and conflicts. This collective landmark is an imaginative use of space that was originally envisioned as something far different, showcasing the many different forms that monuments can take to create positive economic and cultural impacts on entire communities.
A Feature of the Milwaukee Midsummer Carnival Festival
The Milwaukee Midsummer Carnival Festival began in 1898 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wisconsin’s birth as a state. The Court of Honor was the site of the annual crowning of the king of the festival. Each year, temporary classical wood and plaster colonnades were constructed but a desire to create something far more permanent led to the construction of what has become known as the Column with Sphere monument in 1900.
Designed as a Corinthian column to serve as a centerpiece for the event, it was first called the Midsummer Carnival Shaft. A metal eagle originally sat atop of the column but it was removed in 1942. The Midsummer Carnival Festival only lasted a total of four years but the column would come to define and name the space, although other monuments in the surrounding vicitiny predate it.
The Civil War Monument was installed in 1898. Often referred to as Victorious Charge, it is dedicated to the soldiers who fought in the Civil War for the Union. Not far from it is the George Washington Statue that was installed in 1885. The bronze statue of Washington stands on a pedestal above a pair of life-sized bronze sculptures of a woman and a young boy.
The last monument in the Court of Honor was installed in 1932. Featuring a solitary soldier, the Memorial to Spanish-American War veterans was commissioned by veterans of that conflict as a tribute to their fallen comrades.
This collection of monuments has provided the city of Milwaukee with an imaginative way to celebrate the history of the region and nation. Compelling so much interest that it has come to be called out in guides of the city and on the street itself, the Court of Honor is connected to the past and future of the city in ways that resonate across audiences and eras.
Legacy and Connection
Efforts to protect and restore the monuments located in the Court of Honor have led to the creation of a committee to help raise funds for these efforts, highlighting the economic and cultural significance of this collective landmark. Containing the space and opportunity to further enable the legacy and connection it already contains, the Court of Honor highlights what it can look like to imaginatively interpret such things for the benefit of everyone.
