Washington Monument (Milwaukee)

Public artwork by Richard Henry Park

Washington Monument

Artist| Richard Henry Park
Year| 1885 (1885)
Type| bronze sculpture
Dimensions| 280 cm × 100 cm × 100 cm (110 in × 41 in × 41 in)
Location| Wisconsin Ave. near 8th St. in front of MPL Central, Milwaukee
Coordinates| 43°2′19.643″N 87°55′22.266″W﻿ / ﻿43.03878972°N 87.92285167°W﻿ / 43.03878972; -87.92285167

The Washington Monument is a public artwork by American artist Richard Henry Park located on the Court of Honor [Wikidata] in front of the Milwaukee Public Library Central Library, which is near Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bronze sculpture is a full-length portrait of a 43-year-old George Washington, and stands on a granite pedestal; a bronze woman points up at Washington while a child, also made out of bronze, gazes upward.[1] It was sculpted by Richard Henry Park and was erected in 1885[2] with philanthropic financial support from Elizabeth Plankinton. The statue was restored between July 2016[3][4] and January 2018.[5][6]

## Description

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The 10 foot and 6 inch high full-length sculpture depicts George Washington at the age of 43. "He wears a hat with flower, cape, boots, jacket, vest and pants. He holds a sword with both hands in front of him."[1] There are two bronze figures at the foot of the base that were added at the suggestion of Miss Elizabeth Plankinton. One, a woman, points up to the statue with her proper left arm, while the second figure, a child, gazes upward while holding an open book at his side. The inscription on the lower left side of the sculpture reads "RH PARK SC". The inscription on the proper right lower side of the sculpture reads "F. GALLI FUSERO". The front of the base reads "WASHINGTON". The back of the base reads "The Gift of / Elizabeth A. Plankinton / To the City of Milwaukee / 1885".[1]

## Background

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Richard Henry Park's George Washington, dedicated on November 7, 1885, was the first public monument in Milwaukee.[2] It was given to the city as a gift by Elizabeth Plankinton, popularly known as Miss Lizzie, as a gesture of her love for Milwaukee. "It would also ensure, as one of the speakers noted at the dedication of the statue, that 'during the coming generations when other men shall walk these streets, this monument will stand a text for the old and a lesson for the young.' Because this was to be the city's first public statue, it seemed fitting that the nation's first president, George Washington, be its subject."[2] The 43-year-old Washington is depicted wearing an exact copy of the Commander-in-Chief uniform of the Continental Army.

The sculpture cost about $20,000. Thousands of people attended its unveiling, although Miss Lizzie did not. it was placed on the boulevard on W. Wisconsin Avenue, one of the city's earliest parks. This location later became known as the Court of Honor because of the crowning of Rex, King of the Milwaukee Midsummer Carnival Festival, which took place in the same area. Every year on Washington's birthday the Military Order of the Purple Heart places a wreath on the monument to honor its founder.[2]

Short video of Washington Monument in Milwaukee.

## Artist

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Main article: Richard Henry Park

Artist Richard Henry Park was born on a farm in Connecticut in 1832. Park was inspired to become a sculptor after attending a Hiram Powers exhibition. He worked as a marble cutter's apprentice, producing marble copies of Erastus Dow Palmer's work. The sculptor moved to Florence in 1871 where he met Thomas Hardy,[7] yet he remained a very popular artist with Milwaukee's elite. He became acquainted with Elizabeth Plankinton while making a sculpture of her father and they became engaged, but he ended up marrying a different woman. Park is also known for sculpting a silver statue of Justice for Montana's exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago.

## Restoration

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2012

2019

Before and after the 2016-2017 restoration

A 1994 survey reported in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database indicated that the sculpture was deteriorating and that treatment was needed.[1] Problems include that Washington's uniform is covered in dirt and corrosion and that part of the head of the bronze figure of a woman at Washington's feet is missing.[3] Similar observations were included in a detailed report about the condition of the monument and works needed produced for the Westown Association in 2014.[8] There had been no restoration work done since it was installed as Milwaukee's first piece of public art.[4]

In July 2016, the statue was moved to the Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio in Forest Park, Illinois where Andrzej Dajnowski supervised its restoration.[3] A great deal of fundraising has been done to support the work,[4] which was expected to cost about $100,000,[3] of which the Westown Association provided $60,000.[9] The process of moving the statue revealed several additional challenges, including the rust in base that he described as "a big issue because [the original builders] inserted a 1 inch rod in both of his legs and that's why one of the legs is already splitting," and the possibility that Washington's sword is not the original but has been replaced at some point in the past.[4]

The restored statue, now a dark bronze color instead of the previous green, was returned to its pedestal at North 9th St. and West Wisconsin Avenue in January 2018.[5][6] As the 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg), 10-foot tall statue was hoisted into place by a crane, Mayor Tom Barrett observed that "our first piece of public art is in pristine condition."[5]

## See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Washington Monument (Milwaukee).

* List of statues of George Washington
* List of sculptures of presidents of the United States
* Juneau Monument
* Thomas A. Hendricks Monument

## References

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1. ^ a b c d George Washington, (sculpture), SIRIS.
2. ^ a b c d Buck, Diane M. and Virginia A. Palmer (1995). Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee: A Cultural and Historical Guidebook, p. 53. The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison
3. ^ a b c d Schumacher, Mary Louise (July 8, 2016). "George Washington statue will cross the border Monday for restoration". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
4. ^ a b c d Bence, Susan (July 18, 2016). "Milwaukee's Oldest Monument Leaves City for Repair". WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
5. ^ a b c Nelson, James B. (January 11, 2018). "Restored George Washington statue, Milwaukee's oldest monument, returns to Wisconsin Ave". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
6. ^ a b Peterson, Evan (January 11, 2018). "Bringing George Washington back to life: Milwaukee's 1st public monument gets much-needed repair". FOX6 News. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
7. ^ Wilson, Keith (2009). A companion to Thomas Hardy. John Wiley & Sons. p. 218\. ISBN 9781405156684.
8. ^ Conservation of Sculpture & Objects Studio, Inc. (2014). "Condition Report and Treatment Proposal - George Washington Monument (City of Milwaukee)" (PDF). Westown Association, Milwaukee. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
9. ^ Zervakis, Pete (January 11, 2018). "Newly-restored George Washington monument back on display in downtown Milwaukee". WTMJ-TV Milwaukee. Retrieved July 24, 2019.

* "The Monuments of Milwaukee" (PDF). Monumental News. 7 (1): 23. January 1895.
* "Milwaukee". National Magazine. 17 (6): 773–774\. March 1903.773-774&rft.date=1903-03&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUMPAQAAIAAJ&pg;=PA773&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Washington+Monument+(Milwaukee)" class="Z3988">

## External links

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* Washington Monument, Greetings from Milwaukee, UWM Archives

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Public art in Milwaukee

Downtown|

* The Victorious Charge
* Family
* The Calling
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* The Great Double
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* Leif, the Discoverer
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* Spanish–American War Soldier
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* Ex Stasis
* City Yard
* Mahatma Gandhi Memorial
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* A Beam of Sun to Shake the Sky
* Rainbow Machine
* Topiary Lucere
* Dancing Through Life
* Mother Teresa Monument
* Jacques Marquette
* You Rise Above the World
* The Last Alarm
* John Plankinton

North Side|

* Celebrating the Arts
* Christian Wahl
* Elk
* On Watch
* Pattern
* Lapham Memorial
* Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
* Music
* Fishing
* Spirit of the Firefighter
* Dauntless Guardian
* Buildings 1992
* Gear 23
* All in the Air at Once
* First Flight
* Sea of the Ear
* Kindred Ties

East Side|

* Cleopatra's Wedge
* Float
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* Boy with Goose
* Eight Stone Lions
* Three Bronze Discs
* Holocaust Memorial
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* Sharing the Load
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* Tip
* Jantar-Mantar
* Cass Street Park
* Brady Street Beasts
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South Side|

* Menomonee
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* Edge Elements
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* Untitled
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* Watertower

West Side|

* Henry Bergh
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Lynden Sculpture Garden|

* Sinai
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Mobile projects|

* Overpass Light Brigade

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George Washington

* 1st President of the United States (1789–1797)
* Senior Officer of the Army (1798–1799)
* Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army (1775–1783)
* Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775)
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Military career
Revolutionary War|

* Military career
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* Newburgh letter
* Asgill Affair
* Evacuation Day
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* Badge of Military Merit
* Purple Heart
* Washington Before Boston Medal
* Horses
* Nelson
* Blueskin

Other U.S.
founding events|

* Initiated, co-wrote, 1769 Virginia Association
* Initiated, 1774 Fairfax Resolves
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* Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture
* 1785 Mount Vernon Conference
* Chairman, 1787 Constitutional Convention
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Presidency
(timeline)|

* 1788–89 United States presidential election
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Memorials
and depictions|

* Washington, D.C.
* Washington state
* Washington Monument
* Mount Rushmore
* Washington's Birthday
* Purple Heart
* The Apotheosis of Washington
* Washington Monument (Boonsboro, Maryland)
* Washington Monument (Baltimore)
* Washington Monument (Philadelphia)
* George Washington (Houdon)
* plaster copy
* George Washington (Ceracchi)
* George Washington (Canova)
* George Washington (Greenough)
* George Washington (Trumbull)
* George Washington and the Revolutionary War Door
* Revolutionary War Door
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* The Passage of the Delaware
* General George Washington at Trenton
* Washington at Verplanck's Point
* General George Washington Resigning His Commission
* Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
* Unfinished portrait
* Lansdowne portrait
* The Washington Family portrait
* Washington at Princeton paintings
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* Reception at Trenton painting
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* Wall Street statue
* Paris statue
* Perth Amboy statue
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* Trenton statue
* Washington, D.C. statue
* West Point monument
* George Washington University
* Washington University in St. Louis
* Washington Masonic National Memorial
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* George Washington Bridge
* Washington and Jefferson National Forests
* Washington Square Park
* Arch
* U.S. Postage stamps
* Washington–Franklin Issues
* 1932 bicentennial
* Currency
* Washington quarter
* 50 State Quarters
* D.C. and territories quarters
* America the Beautiful quarters
* American Women quarters
* History Instructing Youth dollar
* Washington dollar
* Lafayette dollar
* Silver bullion coins
* Washington nickel
* Washington half eagle
* 250th Anniversary half dollar
* Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins
* Mount Washington
* Cultural depictions
* George Washington (1984 miniseries
* 1986 sequel)
* A More Perfect Union (1989 film)
* The Crossing (2000 film)
* We Fight to Be Free (2006 film)
* Turn: Washington's Spies (2014–2017 series)
* The War that Made America (2006 miniseries)
* Washington (2020 miniseries)
* Hamilton (film)

Related|

* Bibliography
* List of articles
* Founders Online
* Founding Fathers of the United States
* Republicanism
* Federalist Party
* Federalist Era
* Virginia dynasty
* Coat of arms
* Cherry-tree anecdote
* River Farm
* Washington's Crossing
* Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
* 1751 Barbados trip
* Category
* Syng inkstand
* General of the Armies
* Conway Cabal
* American Foxhound
* American Philosophical Society
* American Revolution
* patriots
* Betsy Ross flag
* Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
* Mount Vernon replicas
* George Washington Memorial Building
* Attempted theft of Washington's skull

Family|

* Martha Washington (wife)
* John Parke Custis (stepson)
* George Washington Parke Custis (step-grandson, adopted son)
* Eleanor Parke Custis (step-granddaughter, adopted daughter)
* Augustine Washington (father)
* Mary Ball Washington (mother)
* Lawrence Washington (half-brother)
* Augustine Washington Jr. (half-brother)
* Elizabeth Washington Lewis (sister)
* Samuel Washington (brother)
* John A. Washington (brother)
* Charles Washington (brother)
* Lawrence Washington (grandfather)
* Mildred Gale (grandmother)
* John Washington (great-grandfather)
* George Reade (2nd great-grandfather)
* Bushrod Washington (nephew)

Slavery|

* Washington and slavery
* List of enslaved people of Mount Vernon
* Betty
* Caroline Branham
* William Costin
* West Ford
* Sarah Johnson
* Oney Judge
* Philip Lee
* William Lee
* Hercules Posey
* Christopher Sheels
* Deborah Squash
* Harry Washington

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