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The Soldiers' Monument (Oregon, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
The Soldiers' Monument is a memorial consisting of three statues, one in bronze and two in marble by sculptor Lorado Taft
, grouped around an exedra
designed by the architectural firm of Pond and Pond
. It is located in Oregon, Illinois
, the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois
. It was dedicated in 1916. The sculpture is part of the Oregon Commercial Historic District
. The district was designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in August 2006.
is located just off Illinois Route 64
as it passes through Oregon. It sits on the southeast side of the Old Ogle County Courthouse square.
The eyes are drawn to the centered white marble
stairs which lead up to the main part of the monument. At the top of the stairs is the dominating feature of the installation. Taft's oversized Classical
female figure stands with her arms outstretched, clutching a laurel wreath
in each hand. Behind her is an exedra
which was designed by the architects Pond and Pond. The exedra extends around the installation and to either side of the female sculpture are built-in benches. Above the benches are bronze
plaques honoring veterans of the Civil War
and the Spanish-American War
; above the individual war plaques is bronze plating that reads, "Ogle County Honors Her Sons." Flanking the dominant sculpture are two soldiers atop pedestals, one facing north and the other facing south. Tafts's soldiers were cut from marble obtained in the U.S. state of Georgia.
The Soldiers' Monument was constructed, on the approval of the Ogle County Board in 1916, for no more than $21,000. Today (2007) , this example of the work of Lorado Taft
is estimated to be worth over $1,000,000.
man and is staring north, toward home. The other soldier, on the north half of the installation, is a cavalry
soldier, he is looking south, with his hand on the hilt
of his sword. The cavalry soldier is looking toward battle.
Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.-Early years and education:...
, grouped around an exedra
Exedra
In architecture, an exedra is a semicircular recess or plinth, often crowned by a semi-dome, which is sometimes set into a building's facade. The original Greek sense was applied to a room that opened onto a stoa, ringed with curved high-backed stone benches, a suitable place for a philosophical...
designed by the architectural firm of Pond and Pond
Pond and Pond
Pond and Pond was an American architecture firm established by the Chicago architects Irving Kane Pond and Allen Bartlitt Pond.-Overview:Working in the Arts and Crafts idiom, the brothers gained renown for elaborately detailed brickwork and irregular massing of forms. One of their earliest...
. It is located in Oregon, Illinois
Oregon, Illinois
Oregon is a city located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 3,721, down from 4,060 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ogle County.- History :...
, the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois
Ogle County, Illinois
Ogle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,497, which is an increase of 4.8% from 51,032 in 2000. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle...
. It was dedicated in 1916. The sculpture is part of the Oregon Commercial Historic District
Oregon Commercial Historic District
The Oregon Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Oregon, Illinois, that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2006. The district is roughly bordered by Jefferson, Franklin, 5th and 3rd Streets in Oregon. It is one of six Oregon sites listed on the...
. The district was designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in August 2006.
Location
This example of public artPublic art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
is located just off Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...
as it passes through Oregon. It sits on the southeast side of the Old Ogle County Courthouse square.
Description
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
stairs which lead up to the main part of the monument. At the top of the stairs is the dominating feature of the installation. Taft's oversized Classical
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
female figure stands with her arms outstretched, clutching a laurel wreath
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
in each hand. Behind her is an exedra
Exedra
In architecture, an exedra is a semicircular recess or plinth, often crowned by a semi-dome, which is sometimes set into a building's facade. The original Greek sense was applied to a room that opened onto a stoa, ringed with curved high-backed stone benches, a suitable place for a philosophical...
which was designed by the architects Pond and Pond. The exedra extends around the installation and to either side of the female sculpture are built-in benches. Above the benches are bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
plaques honoring veterans of the 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...
and the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
; above the individual war plaques is bronze plating that reads, "Ogle County Honors Her Sons." Flanking the dominant sculpture are two soldiers atop pedestals, one facing north and the other facing south. Tafts's soldiers were cut from marble obtained in the U.S. state of Georgia.
The Soldiers' Monument was constructed, on the approval of the Ogle County Board in 1916, for no more than $21,000. Today (2007) , this example of the work of Lorado Taft
Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.-Early years and education:...
is estimated to be worth over $1,000,000.
Interpretation
The center female bronze figure, holding the laurel wreaths, represents America. The soldier on the south side of the monument is an infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
man and is staring north, toward home. The other soldier, on the north half of the installation, is a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
soldier, he is looking south, with his hand on the hilt
Hilt
The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard,grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A ricasso may also be present, but this is rarely the case...
of his sword. The cavalry soldier is looking toward battle.