Category:Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Allentown, Pennsylvania
The Soldier's and Sailors monument (1899) is located in the heart of the Central Buisness District of Allentown, in Center Square, 7th and Hamilton Streets. It was erected to honor American Civil War veterans from the 47th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.
The Civil War deeply divided the United States, and the Allentown area was among the places it divided most. Strongly conservative, many folks had little time for arguments put forward by abolitionists. They liked the country as it had always been and felt there was no reason to trouble the South over slavery. But when the states began to leave the Union that was the line for many. To keep their country together, they were willing to fight and die. After five years of fighting and dying, there was lot of bitterness when the war ended in 1865. Allentown and the rest of Lehigh County had voted strongly against the war and Lincoln in 1864's presidential election. And even a Union victory left hard feelings.
After the war had ended, Lehigh County and Allentown disagreed how the veterans of the war should be honored. For the next 30 years local veterans grew older as the county and city argued over how they should be honored, if at all. Finally, in August of 1896, a petition was circulated to do something that most other counties in the state had already done, build a monument to local Civil War veterans. The proposal was overwhelmingly favored. But even having it presented by Medal of Honor winner Ignatz Gresser did little good and the politicians turned it down. But public opinion had shifted. A second petition in 1896 with even more signers got the officials to agree to a compromise: the county would pay for the monument if the city would maintain it.
On June 26, 1899 the cornerstone was laid. Taking part in the services was Rev. Stephen Albion Repass, the pastor of Allentown's St. John's Lutheran Church, and a former Confederate veteran who had fought and was captured at Gettysburg. He was one of the few members of Picketts's charge to make it over the fabled stonewall, later known as the high water mark of the Confederacy. A box was placed at the base of the monument that included a cannonball from the battle of Bull Run and other items. October 19, 1899 was the date of the monument's dedication. It was selected by veterans because it was the anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia. The 47th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the largest single regiment of local troops that fought in the war, had taken an active role in that Union victory.
In 1906 there was the first talk of moving the monument. The most vigorous effort was made in the 1950s. It was said to slow traffic and make Allentown look like a "hick town." But in a 1962 referendum, pro-move forces were defeated in a countywide vote of 40,619 to 20,841.
After almost 120 years, the monument still stands tall in Allentown's Center Square, from a moment in time in an era in which Center Square has changed considerably since the monument's cornerstone was laid.
The Goddess of Liberty
[edit]The Goddess of Liberty is the statue which is at the top of the Soldiers and Sailor's Monument in Center Square, Allentown. It was originally placed on top of the monument and was unveiled on Oct. 19, 1899. Two original distinctive features of Allentown's Goddess of Liberty are the furled national colors topped by an eagle held in her right hand and a flaming torch in her left.
Made of bronze, but hollow inside, the goddess, showing signs of wear, was removed, in 1933 after some severe storms. It was noted that the statue was rocking back and forth on top of the monument. Shortly after, the arm of the statue had broken off and fallen to the ground. A scaffold was quickly erected and it was found that only one of the four bolts attaching the statue to the monument actually was still secure, the others had broken off. The statue was taken down, and repaired and put back up on it's pedestal within a week.
She was taken down again in 1958. Acid rain and Hurricane Hazel in 1954 were said to have damaged her beyond repair. It was found that the statue was damaged by corrosion to a point it was considered to be unrepairable. The original statue was then sold for $162.44 at a public sale and reduced to flattened scrap metal.
For the next seven years, a debate raged across the community about the future of the monument and what should replace Liberty, as the cost was about $30,000. Everything from a giant lit globe to an antique astronomical instrument known as an armillary sphere was suggested. After some debate, including a voting referendum in 1962 to move the monument to West Park, it was decided to obtain a replacement Goddess. A replacement was fabricated and the new Goddess of Liberty was placed on top of the monument on May 21, 1964.
The statue remains in place today on top of the monument.
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Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Media in category "Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Allentown, Pennsylvania"
The following 74 files are in this category, out of 74 total.
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1899 - Allentown Militia At Soldiers And Sailors Monument Dedication - Allentown PA.jpg 1,900 × 1,203; 315 KB
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1899 - Soldiers & Sailors Monument Construction - Allentown PA.jpg 1,440 × 1,800; 534 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedicated 18 October looking north.jpg 1,244 × 1,594; 278 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument Dedication - SW - Allentown PA.jpg 1,319 × 1,900; 367 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument Dedication 18 October looking north.jpg 1,831 × 1,104; 553 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument Dedication Pin - Allentown PA.jpg 700 × 700; 112 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument laying cornerstone 26 June.jpg 1,499 × 1,231; 350 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument procession 18 October looking north.jpg 731 × 1,010; 89 KB
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1899 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument unveiling 18 October looking north.jpg 743 × 1,008; 101 KB
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1899 - Soliders and Sailors Monument - MC - 8 Mar - Allentown PA.jpg 1,070 × 2,097; 454 KB
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1900 - Center Square and Monument looking West - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 858; 278 KB
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1900 - Soldiers & Sailors Monument - Allentown PA.jpg 1,491 × 1,600; 275 KB
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1901 - Center Square - Looking North - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 933; 235 KB
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1903 - Center Square Looking North Allentown PA.jpg 1,579 × 1,009; 494 KB
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1903 - Center Square looking West - Allentown PA.jpg 1,064 × 1,400; 288 KB
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1905 - Center Square looking west by night.jpg 1,100 × 700; 179 KB
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1907 - Center Square - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 910; 361 KB
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1907 - Center Square Looking NE - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 886; 330 KB
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1908 - Center Square Looking North - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,900 × 1,193; 429 KB
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1909 - Center Square Looking Northwest Allentown PA.jpg 631 × 1,024; 156 KB
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1910 - Center Square - SouthWest View.jpg 926 × 587; 146 KB
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1910 - Center Square at Night - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 863 × 1,400; 306 KB
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1910 - Center Square Looking West.jpg 1,101 × 706; 300 KB
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1911 - Center Square - Night - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,033 × 1,600; 300 KB
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1911 - First Defender Reunion at Center Square.jpg 1,566 × 1,130; 295 KB
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1911 - First Defenders Reunion in Center Square.jpg 1,572 × 1,129; 448 KB
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1911 - Soldiers & Sailors Monument - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 869 × 1,400; 320 KB
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1912 - Center Square Looking NE - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 886; 277 KB
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1912 - Southwest Corner Center Square Allentown PA.jpg 699 × 1,100; 167 KB
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1915 - Allentown Band at Center Square.jpg 1,150 × 701; 216 KB
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1915 - Center Square looking North.jpg 1,150 × 742; 204 KB
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1915 - Center Square looking Northeast.jpg 1,150 × 743; 191 KB
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1916 - Center Square - Posrtcard - Allentown PA.jpg 2,694 × 2,099; 901 KB
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1917 - 700 Black Hamilton West from Center Square - Allentown PA.jpg 1,024 × 577; 131 KB
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1920 - Center Square Northeast Corner Allentown PA.jpg 1,600 × 1,023; 498 KB
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1925 - Armistice Day Roll of Honor.jpg 1,581 × 2,074; 607 KB
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1925 - Civil War Veterans at Soldiers and sailors Monument - Allentown PA.jpg 2,000 × 1,363; 773 KB
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1927 - Center Square - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,600 × 1,041; 403 KB
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1928 - Center Square Looking N - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 899; 473 KB
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1940 - Soliders and Sailors Monument - Looking North - Allentown PA.jpg 1,047 × 1,400; 214 KB
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1946 - Soldiers & Sailors Monument - 19 Oct MC - Allentown PA.jpg 888 × 1,814; 394 KB
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1956 - Soldiers and sailors Monument - 16 Jun MC - Allentown PA.jpg 1,692 × 3,209; 994 KB
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1962 - Center Square at Christmas - Allentown PA.jpg 1,555 × 1,800; 260 KB
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1962 - Center Square Monument without Statue.jpg 1,115 × 2,552; 310 KB
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1962 - Cleaning the Monument Eagles - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 1,454; 278 KB
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1962 - Remove Monument Ad - 28 Oct MC - Allentown PA.jpg 3,268 × 3,518; 1.75 MB
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1962 - Remove Monument Ad 2 - 1 Nov MC - Allentown PA.jpg 3,284 × 5,011; 2.06 MB
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1962 - Remove Monument Ad 2 - 28 Oct MC - Allentown PA.jpg 2,060 × 3,884; 883 KB
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1962 - West Park - 16 Sep MC - Allentown PA.jpg 3,325 × 2,569; 1.21 MB
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1964 - Center Square Landmarks - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 493 × 795; 107 KB
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1964 - Center Square Looking North.jpg 1,600 × 1,012; 345 KB
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1964 - Center Square Monument with Replacement Statue.jpg 1,081 × 2,600; 233 KB
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1964 - Monument Restoration - 7 May MC - Allentown PA.jpg 2,549 × 1,677; 873 KB
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1964 - Soldiers & Sailors Monument - Statue Placement - Allentown PA.jpg 1,400 × 789; 235 KB
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1966 - Center Square - 17 Jul - Allentown PA.jpg 1,105 × 1,098; 261 KB
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1972 - Hamilton Mall Construction Center Square Allentown PA.jpg 1,149 × 1,500; 259 KB
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1972 - Hamilton Mall Construction Center Square Looking East - Allentown PA.jpg 919 × 1,200; 192 KB
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1976 - Center Square - Postcard - Allentown PA.jpg 696 × 1,092; 310 KB
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2018 - BB&T Bank Building - Center Square - Allentown PA.jpg 926 × 1,400; 247 KB
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2018 - Soldiers & Sailors Monument - Looking East - Allentown PA.jpg 4,096 × 2,728; 2.24 MB
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2018 - Soliders and Sailors Monument - Allentown PA.jpg 2,731 × 4,096; 921 KB
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2021 - Center Square from Renaissance Allentown Hotel - 02 - Allentown PA.jpg 4,096 × 2,303; 1.07 MB
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2021 - Christmas Decorations - Monument - Allentown PA.jpg 6,000 × 4,000; 3.46 MB
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2021 - Monument - Looking West - 2 - Allentown PA.jpg 6,000 × 4,000; 3.73 MB
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2021 - Monument - Looking West - Allentown PA.jpg 4,000 × 6,000; 2.59 MB
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2021 - The Hamilton Kitchen & Bar - Center Square -3 - Night - Allentown PA.jpg 4,096 × 2,304; 789 KB
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Allentown Soldiers and Sailors Monument from PA 145 sb, Aug. 2023.jpg 3,277 × 2,518; 1.58 MB
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Civil War Monument, Allentown, PA, USA , detail 1899.jpeg 1,120 × 772; 345 KB
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Civil War Monument, Allentown, PA, USA 1899.jpeg 693 × 1,126; 252 KB
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Soldiers And Sailors Monument in Allentown, PA.jpg 3,456 × 5,184; 1.69 MB