One of the most visited Civil War sites in the country is Grand Army Plaza outside of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. This site is dominated by a massive Victory Arch which by 2018 had been identified as structurally deteriorating. That year, Mayor Bill de Blasio set aside 8.9 million dollars in city funds to restore the arch and surrounding features in the plaza. I have already written a full Photo Tour of the site with a complete history and here is my article on the site under restoration. However, I wanted to show you how the restored arch looks today. I went to photograph the Arch last Sunday on my way to church.
Look at the people standing under the restored Arch and you realize how big it is.
This is the second largest Civil War monument in New York. Grand Army Plaza covers 11 acres at the entrance to Prospect Park. Prospect Park, designed by Central Park’s Frederick Law Olmstead, is one of the most outstanding urban parks in the United States.
Olmstead designed the original Prospect Park Plaza as an ornate entrance to the park. It opened in 1867 and two years later a statue of Lincoln was placed in the Park. In 1885, Brooklyn’s mayor, Seth Low of First Unitartian Church fame, began the process to erect the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. After the arch was completed in 1892, famed architect Stanford White redesigned the plaza. The Lincoln statue was moved elsewhere in Prospect Park.
Over the Arch there are several allegorical figures. The central one is Lady Columbia, representing the United States flanked by what are interpreted as Winged Victories.
The day I went to photograph it had rained, which left some discoloration on the granite. However, the Arch looked just beautiful. This year, the restoration won the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the Landmarks Conservancy, its highest honor for excellence in preservation.
“For decades, the Grand Army Plaza Arch has welcomed visitors to Brooklyn’s Backyard while paying tribute to the New Yorkers who gave their lives in the Civil War. Now, thanks to our partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance, this Brooklyn icon has gotten a major facelift, restoring the beautiful statuary and artwork to its original glory,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “By caring for the monuments, statues, and artworks that enhance our public spaces, we’re not just preserving our history – we are communicating to New Yorkers that they deserve the best from their public realm. Parks is proud to maintain over 800 monuments citywide, and we look forward to further partnerships with both the public and private sectors to continue our work as stewards for the city’s outdoor museum.”
New York City has the second highest number of Civil War monuments of any municipality in the United States.
The berms and flower garden have been restored, as well.
While Grand Central Plaza had gotten routine maintenance every year, a fully structural restoration had not taken place for a half-a-century.
“The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch has long stood as one of Brooklyn’s most powerful, historical, and iconic symbols,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “This restoration not only brings new life to one of our borough’s most treasured monuments but also revitalizes the heart of Grand Army Plaza for generations of Brooklynites to come. Thanks to Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks for their hard work maintaining this historic landmark.”
Along with the mythological figures on the roof, there are also realistic statues of the men of the army and navy. They are covered with netting to prevent birds from nesting there.
One criticism of Civil War statuary from the 19th Century is that African Americans are not depicted. However, Brooklyn did honor its Black soldiers and sailors.
“The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza is a Brooklyn icon and now once again a shining jewel of the borough. We are so grateful to the Mayor’s Office for providing the funding so that the Alliance could restore the Arch to its original glory, and ensure that it serves as an essential civic space for our community for generations to come,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator. “While triumphal arches typically recognize great military victories and generals, this arch is dedicated to the rank and file, honoring the young men of Brooklyn who lost their lives defending the union in the Civil War. This makes the arch a true monument of the people, welcoming all into Prospect Park and signifying that this is a place where all in our community are celebrated and seen.”
As you can see, the restoration work was incredibly detailed. This is the naval tribute.
To the left is the army tribute.
The soldiers advancing have dozens of bayonets of soldiers marching behind them.
“I’m thrilled that the restoration of the Grand Army Plaza Arch is now complete, and deeply grateful to the Prospect Park Alliance and the Parks Department for delivering this project on time for the surrounding community and the entire borough of Brooklyn,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “This arch is more than a landmark. It’s a gateway to Brooklyn’s Backyard and a powerful tribute to a turning point in American history, reflecting the values we continue to cherish today. I’m especially proud that this restoration was recognized with the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, the highest honor for preservation efforts from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Brooklyn deserves nothing less.”
“The Arch is more than just the gateway to Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park—it’s an iconic symbol of Brooklyn’s greatness and of what we can accomplish when we work together,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Public works like the Arch are a part of our history and our collective heritage, and New Yorkers deserve beautiful, well-maintained public spaces that both honor that history and meet our needs today. This restoration does exactly that, and ensures the Arch will stand proudly as we walk together into the future. Thanks to the Parks Department, the Prospect Park Alliance for this crucial, powerful work.”
Even the lampposts have been restored!
The intricate work in granite has been repointed and restored.
Inside the Arch are two bas reliefs, one for Abraham Lincoln and the other for Ulysses S. Grant.
Lincoln shows the assassinated president in simple clothes riding a horse.
Interestingly Lincoln was sculpted by one artist and his horse was by another. Lincoln was sculpted by William O’Donovan and his horse is by the famous artist Thomas Eakins.
Lincoln’s hat is hollow. It looks as though he is extending a melancholy welcome to people passing through the plaza.
Across from Lincoln is Grant.
Grant was sculpted by the same two artists.
Before the restoration, it was difficult to make out Grant’s features.
According to the Prospect Park Alliance:
To restore the Arch, the Alliance’s in-house team of award-winning architects conducted significant research to uncover the historic design. Original blueprints were lost to time, requiring the Alliance to create a detailed scan of the inner structure using radar and magnetic investigation. Through these scans, and physical surveys and drawings from previous restorations, the Alliance embarked on a comprehensive restoration. This included reinforcing the historic structure with new steel beams and creating a new internal drainage system. After laboratory testing, the team determined the composition of the stonework mortar, Rosendale cement from the namesake town in upstate New York, and utilized this in the restoration. In addition, cracked and broken stonework was replaced to match the existing stone from a quarry near the original source in Maine. On the interior, bronze and cast-iron spiral staircases and entrance gates were carefully disassembled for restoration: original elements were meticulously cleaned, missing elements recreated, and then the renewed piece was reassembled on site.
The Alliance also restored the landscaped berms that frame the plaza on its east, west and north sides. This work included removing invasive plants, trees and shrubs; and planting 194 native trees, as well as new plants and shrubs that provide interest and color throughout the seasons. The Alliance also replaced a chain link fence with low, decorative steel fencing. At the plaza, the Alliance restored the broken bluestone and granite paving around Bailey Fountain and the John F. Kennedy Memorial and added a new ADA-accessible curb cut at the north entrance to the plaza.
Grand Army Plaza will well reward the millions of visitors who see it every year.
It is fitting site for what at the time of the Civil War was America’s third most populous city.
Source:
Quotes from those involved in the restoration come from The Prospect Park Alliance.
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I believe this is the only equestrian statue of Abraham Lincoln,
Also, the sculptor, William O’Donovan, sculpted the Irish Brigade Monument at Gettysburg.
Ironically, O’Donovan fought at the battle of Gettysburg. He was a corporal in the Confederate Army
and was in Jubal Early’s Division.