The South Arch / The North Arch

The South Arch, also, The North Arch. Smith Memorial Arch. , The South Arch , This memorial honors Pennsylvania's military heroes of the Civil War (1861-1865). A pair of arches topped by tall pillars, the project involved 12 noted sculptors over a 15-year period. It is considered one of most ambitious monuments of the Victorian era in the United States., The memorial was built through the bequest of Richard A. Smith (1821-94), a Philadelphian who who made his fortune making type used in printing. Smith had a model and designs for the Memorial prepared before his death and left $500,000 to complete and maintain it. In his will, Smith appointed James H. Windrim as architect and left the selection of the artists to the Fairmount Park Art Association., In addition to the Civil War heroes, the monument features statues of Smith, architect Windrim and Smith's attorney Gest., [Captions:] , Major General George B. McClellan , Edward C. Potter (1857-1925) , McClellan (1826-1885), a Philadelphian, organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly (1861-1862) as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. He was involved in the early Peninsula and Maryland Campaigns, including the Battle of Antietam., 2. Major General George Gordon Meade , Daniel Chester French (1850-1931) , Meade (1815-1872), a Philadelphian was Commander of the Army of the Potomac He is best known for defeating Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863. Meade continued his command through the end of the war. Later, he served as one of the first Commissioners of Fairmount Park from 1867 until his death in 1872., 5. Two Eagles and Globe , John Massey Rhind (1860-1936) , These national symbols were carved by sculptor John Massey Rhind who created monumental sculptures during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His other Philadelphia works include the Henry Howard Houston memorial along Lincoln Drive and the Tedyuscung statue overlooking Wissahickon Valley Park., 6. Major General S.W. Crawford , Bessie O. Potter (1872-1955) , Crawford (1829-1892), of Franklin County, PA, was a United States Army surgeon and Major General during the Civil War. He was on duty at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, during the Confederate bombardment which began the Civil War., 7. Major General John Hartranft , Alexander Stirling Calder (1870-1945) , Hartranft (1830-1889), of Montgomery County, PA, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the First Battle of Bull Run. He served as governor of Pennsylvania from 1873 to 1879., 11. John B. Gest, Esq. , Charles Grafly (1862-1929) , John B. Gest, was a lawyer and the president of the Fidelity Insurance Trust and Safe Deposit Company. In his will, Ricahrd A. Smith, funder of this monument, left Gest in charge of his estate's finances., General James A. Beaver , Katherine M. Cohen (1859-1924) , Beaver (1837-1914), of Perry County, PA, commanded a regiment of Pennsylvania volunteers during the Civil War. He was wounded four times. One nearly fatal injury resulted in the amputation of his right leg. He served as governor of Pennsylvania from 1887 to 1891., Several other figures surround the arches of the Memorial. These symbolize Victory, Courage, Heroism, Fame, Strength, Peace, and the Army and Navy., The stone seating areas on the north side of the Memorial are known as the Whispering Benches, because a whisper into the curved wall at one end can be heard at the other end., The North Arch , The Fairmount Park Art Association selected twelve of the most distinguished sculptors of the era, including two women and four Philadelphians to create the figures that adorn the memorial., Several of the artists have other pieces located throughout Fairmount Park and Philadelphia. These other works include Alexander Stirling Calder's Sundial at the Horticulture Center and Swann Memorial Fountain in Logan Square; Daniel Chester French and Edward C. Potter's General Ulysses S. Grant, in East Fairmount Park and Moses Jacob Ezekiel's Religious Liberty in Old City., [Captions:] , 4. Major General Winfield Scott Hancock , John Quincy Adams Ward (1830-1910) , Hancock (1824-1886), was a native of Montgomery County, PA. Nicknamed "Thunderbolt of the Army of the Potomac" by the Confederates, he distinguished himself as a Union military leader in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Spotsylvania. Wounded at Gettysburg, he received thanks from the U.S. Congress for "his gallant, meritorious and conspicuous share in that great and decisive victory.", 3. Major General John Fulton Reynolds , Charles Grafly (1862-1929) , Reynolds (1820-1863), of Lancaster, PA, was one of the most respected senior Union commanders in the Civil War. He served with distinction in the battles of Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. In November 1862 he was made Major General of Volunteers. He was killed on the morning of July 1, 1863, on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg., 5. Two Eagles and Globe , John Massey Rhind (1860-1936) , These national symbols were carved by sculptor John Massey Rhind who created monumental sculptures during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His other Philadelphia works include the Henry Howard Houston memorial along Lincoln Drive and the Tedyuscung statue overlooking Wissahickon Valley Park., 8. Richard Smith , Herbert Adams (1858-1945) , Smith (1821-1894), left $500,000 to build the Smith Memorial Arch. A Philadelphian who earned a fortune making type used in printing, he is depicted here wearing the apron of a typesetter. Smith and his wife Sara also funded the construction of the Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse in East Fairmount Park., 9. Admiral John A.B. Dahlgren , George E. Bissell (1839-1920) , Admiral Dahlgren (1809-1870), a Philadelphian, designed the cast iron muzzle loading cannon. Called the "Dahlgren gun," it was the standard gun used on U.S. Navy warships during the Civil War., 10. Admiral David Dixon Porter , Charles Grafly (1862-1929) , Admiral Porter (1813-1891), of Chester, PA, was a top-ranking rear admiral during the Civil War. At the Siege of Vicksburg in May 1863, he helped Grant's army to cross the Mississippi River. this effort resulted in a strategic Confederate surrender., 13. Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin , Moses Jacob Ezekial (1844-1917) , Governor Curtin (1817-1894), of Bellefonte, PA, was Pennsylvania's governor during the Civil War. Curtin invited President Lincoln to the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg where he delivered his now-famous Gettysburg Address., 14. James H. Windrim, Esq. , Samuel Murray (1870-1941) , Windrim (1840-1919), the architect of the Smith Memorial Arch, also designed several other significant buildings in Philadelphia. These include the Masonic Temple (185?), the Smith Memorial Playhouse (1899), and several buildings for the Girard Estate. Windrim's now-demolished Agricultural Hall, built for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, stood nearby., The fifty-six names on the pylons of the Arch memorialize other Pennsylvanians who fought in the Civil War., The stone seating areas on the north side of the Memorial are known as the Whispering Benches, because a whisper into the curved wall at one end can be heard at the other end.