Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum. . , Origin of Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall , In 1891, some thirty years after the Civil War began, a committee of Allegheny County veteran organizations proposed the erection of a memorial honoring soldiers, sailors and marines from Allegheny County who had served in the Army and Navy of the United States in the war "for the suppression of the rebellion". A referendum was passed by county voters in 1905 to fund the proposed $1,250,000.00 project., The architectural firm of Hornbostel and Palmer was selected to design the Memorial, with Hornbostel employing a neo classic design inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in ancient Turkey. Construction began in 1908, and the Memorial opened to the public on October 10, 1910., The powerful effect the Civil War had upon our country is reflected throughout the building. The names of 25,930 Civil War veterans from Allegheny County are cast in bronze on large plaques found lining the inner hallways of the Memorial. A 70' x 18' painting of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the largest in the world, hangs above the Auditorium stage visible for all to absorb the impact of the immortal speech., Through The Years , Soldiers and Sailors served as a gathering place for many Civil War veteran organizations, the most well known are the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and the Union Veteran Legion (UVL). Small chapters, or "Posts", held their regular monthly meetings in the Gettysburg and Shiloh Rooms, and larger reunions and conventions in the 2,364 seat Auditorium or Grand Ballroom., As the days of the Civil War men passed, veterans of subsequent wars took their place using Soldiers and Sailors for meetings and gatherings where their stories could be told. Today, the Memorial stands in honor to all veterans from each branch of the military that have served in peace and at war., ☆ Civil War ☆ , ☆ Spanish American War ✩ , ☆ World War I ✩ , ☆ World War II ✩ , ☆ Korean War ✩ , ✩ Vietnam ☆ , ☆ Desert Storm ✩ , ☆ War on Terrorism ✩, In 1999, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum Trust, Inc. was established to maintain the Memorial, operate the Museum, and create educational programs. Soldiers and Sailors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, has established itself as a national landmark, offering a distinctive Museum, an intimate performance Auditorium, a breathtaking Grand Ballroom, and engaging programs honoring our veterans.. , (Captions):, Opening Day Ceremonies, October 1910, Hornbostel and Palmer, c. 1910, Civil War Veterans, c. 1910, Doughboys of Company B, July 1918, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall under construction c. 1909, www.SoldiersAndSailorsHall.org.