Statue of Alexander Hamilton (Chicago) facts for kids
Alexander Hamilton statue (2013)
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| Location | Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States |
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| Designer | John Angel |
| Material | Bronze (with gilding) Granite (pedestal) |
| Height | 13 feet (4.0 m) |
| Completion date | 1939 |
| Dedicated to | Alexander Hamilton |
The Alexander Hamilton statue is a large and important statue of Alexander Hamilton in Chicago, Illinois, United States. You can find it in the city's Lincoln Park. This monument was put in place in 1952. However, it was actually finished several years before that, in 1939.
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History of the Statue
The idea for a monument honoring Alexander Hamilton came from Kate Sturges Buckingham. She was a kind person who gave a lot of money to good causes. Before she passed away in 1937, she made sure the statue would be built.
How the Statue Was Planned
Kate Buckingham's last wishes included setting aside $1 million for the Art Institute of Chicago. This money was meant to build the monument. She believed that Hamilton was a very important person in creating the United States. But she felt he didn't always get enough credit.
Before her death, she asked sculptor John Angel to design the statue of Hamilton. She also asked architect Eliel Saarinen to create a very tall column, about 80 feet (24 m) high. The statue was supposed to sit on top of this column.
Building and Placing the Statue
The statue itself was finished in 1939. However, the idea for the tall column was never built. After it was completed, the statue had to be stored for more than 12 years. This was because there wasn't enough bronze metal during World War II.
The monument was finally put in place in Lincoln Park in 1952. It was placed with a large base behind it. This base was made of limestone and granite and designed by Samuel A. Marx.
Changes to the Base
Later, in October 1993, this large base was taken away. Soon after, the statue was placed on a new, red granite pedestal. In 2016, the statue got a $52,000 update. This included making it shiny and golden again, a process called re-gilding.
Design of the Statue
The Alexander Hamilton statue stands 13 feet (4.0 m) tall. It is also quite heavy, weighing about 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg).
See also
In Spanish: Estatua de Alexander Hamilton (Chicago) para niños
