World War I Monument

World War I Monument. . , The World War I monument stood at a spot 127 feet north of this plaque until 1987, when it was dismantled to make way for the relocated river. In 1995 it was reerected in Memorial Park to the south of here., Consideration was given in the early twenty to the erection of a suitable memorial to the men of Providence who gave their lives in World War I. In 1926, the City Council decided to erect a monument on Post Office Square, and held a competition for its design. The selected plan, designed by architect Paul P. Cret of Philadelphia and sculpted by C.P. Jennewein, provide for fluted granite shaft rising 108 feet from a low-relief frieze base 80 feet in diameter. It was crowned by a heroic figure representing peace, which looked toward the water where ships carried our troops to and from the battlefields in Europe., Its construction was authorized by the Council on June 25, 1927. The monument was dedicated on Armistice Day, November 11, 1929. Speakers included Sgt. Alvin C. York, the most celebrated American infantrymen of World War I. Post Office Square was then rededicated as Memorial Square., A time capsule, embedded in the base, was uncovered during the 1987 dismantling; however, it had mostly disintegrated because of water leakage. A new stainless steel time capsule containing artifacts of the life and times of the later years of the 20th Century has been put in its place.