Confederate Memorial (Wilmington, North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Located at the plaza of South Third and Dock Street in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina
, the bronze and granite Confederate Memorial stands honoring Confederate soldiers who fought for the Confederacy.
sculpture of one fallen and one standing soldier atop the base. The two soldiers represent
courage and sacrifice while the inscriptions along the top of the backdrop and bottom of
the base, honors Confederate soldiers.
had the Confederate Memorial erected in 1924 with a donation from Gabriel James Boney, whose name appears on the bottom of the statue. Henry Bacon
who designed the Lincoln Memorial
, George Davis Monument, and the Donald McRae House, is the architect also responsible for the design of the Confederate Memorial. Frank H. Packer who was the sculptor for the George Davis Monument, also sculpted the two bronze figures on the Confederate Memorial.
The creation and purpose of this monument was to memorialize the soldiers who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War
.
An inscription along the top portion of the statue reads:
The bottom portion of the statue reads:
The Latin words ‘Pro Aris Et Focis’ translates ‘For Altar and Home.’ This phrase was used by Southern sympathizers of the Confederacy to defend their reasoning for the Civil War, which was to defend their altar and their homes.
Since being placed at the busy downtown intersection, the monument has had to undergo many repairs due to being hit by cars and cranes. In 1954, a car first knocked the statue down. In 1999, it was again hit by a car and knocked from its foundation and into the street. This caused a cracked foundation and the backdrop to be knocked over. While trying to reconstruct the monument, a crane carrying the backdrop slammed into a wall, cars, and power lines. After an absence of almost a year and a half, the monument was repaired, restored, and replaced in 2000, only to be damaged again as it was being put back into place. The mishap was quickly fixed and remains complete today.
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, the bronze and granite Confederate Memorial stands honoring Confederate soldiers who fought for the Confederacy.
Description
The monument consists of an eleven-ton granite backdrop, granite base, and a bronzesculpture of one fallen and one standing soldier atop the base. The two soldiers represent
courage and sacrifice while the inscriptions along the top of the backdrop and bottom of
the base, honors Confederate soldiers.
History
The United Daughters of the ConfederacyUnited Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
had the Confederate Memorial erected in 1924 with a donation from Gabriel James Boney, whose name appears on the bottom of the statue. Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
who designed the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, George Davis Monument, and the Donald McRae House, is the architect also responsible for the design of the Confederate Memorial. Frank H. Packer who was the sculptor for the George Davis Monument, also sculpted the two bronze figures on the Confederate Memorial.
The creation and purpose of this monument was to memorialize the soldiers who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
An inscription along the top portion of the statue reads:
1861-1865
To the soldiers of the confederacy
The bottom portion of the statue reads:
Confederates blend your recollections
Let memory weave its bright reflections
Let love revive life’s ashen embers
For love is life since love remembers
PRO ARIS ET FOCIS
This monument is a legacy of Gabriel James Boney
Born Wallace, NC 1846-Died Wilmington, NC 1915
A Confederate soldier
The Latin words ‘Pro Aris Et Focis’ translates ‘For Altar and Home.’ This phrase was used by Southern sympathizers of the Confederacy to defend their reasoning for the Civil War, which was to defend their altar and their homes.
Since being placed at the busy downtown intersection, the monument has had to undergo many repairs due to being hit by cars and cranes. In 1954, a car first knocked the statue down. In 1999, it was again hit by a car and knocked from its foundation and into the street. This caused a cracked foundation and the backdrop to be knocked over. While trying to reconstruct the monument, a crane carrying the backdrop slammed into a wall, cars, and power lines. After an absence of almost a year and a half, the monument was repaired, restored, and replaced in 2000, only to be damaged again as it was being put back into place. The mishap was quickly fixed and remains complete today.