The James A. Garfield Monument is a monument honoring the 20th president of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and architect Stanford White collaborated on the memorial, which was completed in 1896. It is located in Fairmount Park, along Kelly Drive, near the Girard Avenue Bridge.Philadelphia Public Art
History President Garfield was shot by an assassin in Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1881, and died of his wounds at a beach house in NJ on September 19. Later that year, the Fairmount Park Art Association (which became the Association for Public Art) initiated a fundraising campaign to erect a monument to him in Philadelphia."James A. Garfield Monument", Museum Without Walls: AUDIO™, Interactive map accessed March 1, 2013. This was the second monument to be commissioned by the Association, which selected Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1889 to design and create the work.
Cast in 1895, the monument was formally dedicated on May 30, 1896 by Mayor Charles F. Warwick.Unveiling of the memorial to General James A. Garfield, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia ... May 30th, 1896 The dedication ceremony included a grand river fete with parades and a flotilla along the Schuylkill River.
The monument is one of many sculptures included in the Association for Public Art's Museum Without Walls: AUDIO interpretive audio program for Philadelphia's outdoor sculpture.Garfield Monument (audio), Association for Public Art, Philadelphia, accessed March 1, 2013.
1896 description The Garfield Memorial.Between the pilasters of granite is the figure of a woman in bronze, of heroic size—typical of America—young, strong, dignified, holding in her hand the sword and palm, symbolic of Garfield's life, and bearing his name on the shield which she holds in front of her. Surmounting four square granite pilasters is the BUST of Garfield, of heroic size. Pedestal.The main pedestal is four feet wide, three feet deep, and seventeen feet high, resting upon a base projecting to carry the emblematic figure.The main pedestal is flanked by four square Ionic pilasters. The material is pink Milford granite, and the style of the pedestal is pure Greek.
Inscription The inscriptions read: A. ST GAUDENS '95 Cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., NY 1895 (Front of shield held by figure of the Republic:) E PLVRIBVS VNVM JAMES ABRAM GARFIELD PRESIDENT OF THE VNITED STATES MDCCC LXXXI (Base, above the Republic's head:) MDCCCXXXI MDCCCLXXXI (Base, below bust:) MDCCCXCB
The Fairmount Park Art Association plaque appears on the lower front of the sculpture's base.
See also List of public art in Philadelphia
References
External links
"James A. Garfield Monument", Museum Without Walls: AUDIO™, Interactive map accessed March 1, 2013.