Washington Avenue Soldier's Monument and Triangle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Washington Avenue
Soldier's Monument and Triangle |
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Memorial in 2008
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| Location | Suffern, NY |
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| Nearest city | Hackensack, NJ |
| Built | 1908, 1921 |
| Architect | J.W. Fiske Iron Works |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000646 |
| Added to NRHP | 2006 |
The Washington Avenue Soldier's Monument is a special memorial located in Suffern, New York, in the United States. It sits on a small piece of land in the middle of the street, which locals call the Triangle.
This spot is important because George Washington and Rochambeau once camped their Continental Army nearby during the American Revolutionary War. A cannon from that war was placed here in 1908. The idea was to create a memorial for soldiers from the American Civil War. However, the monument was only finished and dedicated after World War I. Since then, special plaques have been added to honor local people who served and sometimes died in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
What You'll See at the Memorial
The monument has two main parts: a small cannon and a zinc statue of a soldier, often called a doughboy. Both of these stand on a slightly raised granite base.
Next to the cannon, there's a plaque that says this cannon was used in the Battle of Long Island in 1777. The doughboy statue shows a brave soldier with his shirt open and his helmet off. He stands on a white pedestal. This pedestal has plaques on each side that list the names of soldiers from Suffern who died in different wars. The soldier originally held a rifle, but it was stolen and later replaced.
How the Memorial Was Built
The cannon at the monument has an interesting story. The family of John Suffern, who founded the village, bought the cannon in 1851. They used to fire it from Union Hill every July 4th. They also fired it for big events, like when the Erie Railroad was finished in 1852.
In 1908, the family gave the cannon to the village. The village decided to place it on the Triangle. A local stonemason was paid $65 to build the granite platform for it. The village also gave a special permission to a local group of Union Army veterans to create a memorial there.
At first, there were some delays in finishing the memorial. The village mayor at the time was not very popular. Some people complained about the memorial, comparing it to a fort. These efforts to stop the project didn't work, but they did slow things down.
Interest in finishing the memorial grew after the United States fought in World War I. In April 1921, the village board approved the construction. The J.W. Fiske Iron Works from New York City made the soldier statue out of zinc. Zinc was a cheaper choice than bronze. At this time, many war memorials started focusing on the everyday soldier, not just famous leaders.
The monument was officially dedicated on Memorial Day in 1921. Since then, the village has held its Memorial Day ceremonies at this monument every year. The only major change to the memorial, besides adding plaques for later wars, was when the original rifle was stolen in 1968. In 2006, the monument and the Triangle were added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important historical sites.
Images for kids
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Memorial in 2008
