When you arrive by bus from New York and Baltimore to go to the casinos you may see what looks like a monument in the middle of the city’s plaza. It is a Civil War monument in O’Donnell Memorial Park at ‘Ventnor Ave. and Atlantic Ave. Yes, those two Avenues from Monopoly. I found easy metered parking around the park if you drive there.
While Atlantic City is in slow decline, this are is well kept up and relatively safe to visit. The are is also flat and can easily be reached by people with limited mobility. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was built in 1916. You may think it was for the veterans of Atlantic City, but is really was not to remember them. There were only 687 people living in the city at the start of the war. By 1910, there were 47,000 people living there, very few of who had lived there during the Civil War. In the late 1800s, Atlantic City was a prime beach resort and also a retirement community. So, the memorial was built for those veterans and their families who came to Atlantic City to rest, take in the beach, or retire.
In 1910, the Grand Army of the Republic held its annual convention in the city which drew 18,000 veterans there. That made it a place for veterans to enjoy. There were several subsequent conventions of the New Jersey Grand Army of the Republic held there as well. There were magnificent hotels there where veterans could find a room and enjoy the many restaurants. Almost all of these hotels were torn down during the 1960s.
I went to photograph the monument in the Winter which accounts for the muted colors of the grass and bushes. Much of the monument is in excellent shape. As with many of these monuments, it has four servicemen on display. Another common element is an eagle at the top with wings outstretched flying.
The only part of the monument that should be attended to is the washed out dedicatory plaque telling what the purpose of the monument is.
On the front side where the plaque is you can see a Union infantryman next to a sailor.
Above them is a five pointed star that was the medal for the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR).
On the back you can see an artilleryman and a cavalryman.
The inscription on the plaque says:
Erected to the
memory of
the soldiers and
sailors of the
Civil War
1861 – 1865
Below it are the names of the members of the committee.
A postcard image of the monument from the 1930s.
Note: All color photos of buildings in this post were taken by Patrick Young except as noted.
