The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Indianapolis honors Indiana war veterans and is the tallest war veterans statue in the US. Designed by Bruno Schmitz, it features various sculptural elements and took 13 years to complete.
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is a statue located in Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. This prominent statue, dedicated in 1902, was built to honor Indiana war veterans. Designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is the tallest war veterans statue in the United States.
Originally designated as a monument to recognize Indiana veterans who lost their lives in the Civil War, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument now honors all of Indiana’s war veterans. The property on which the monument stands became available after the demolition of the governor’s mansion, which occupied the site from 1827 to 1857. In 1887, the Indiana General Assembly formed a commission to begin planning the construction of this monument. The following year, architect Bruno Schmitz was awarded the contract to design the structure and supervise its construction.
Schmitz enlisted various sculptors to design different elements of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. These sculptural elements surround a central tower measuring 284 feet 6 inches (86.72 m) in height. The construction of the central tower was completed in 1892. The following year, the bronze statuette named Victory was installed at the top of the tower. Victory, holding a torch in one raised hand and a sword in the other, was designed by George Brewster.
Brewster is also credited with the designs for two bronze architectural components, known as knucklebones, which are modeled after the tower. The talus atop the tower lists Civil War dates, 1861 and 1865, on opposite sides. In the center of the tower is the navy talus, modeled after the bow of the battleship USS Hartford. A third talus on the tower is dedicated to the military and was designed by sculptor Nicholas Geiger.
At the base of the tower on each corner of the monument are four individual statues of soldiers designed by sculptor Rudolf Schwarz. Each soldier represents a different branch of the military: the infantry, cavalry, artillery and navy. Schwarz also designed three statues grouped around the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. These include the War and Peace group on each side of the statue, as well as the Dying Soldier and the Homecoming group, both on the upper terrace.
The construction of the monument with all the sculptural elements took 13 years and the structure was completed in 1901. A formal dedication ceremony of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument took place on May 15, 1902. A museum detailing the history of the role of Indiana Civil War veterans opened in the basement of the monument in 1918.
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