Archive for the ‘War Memorial Plaza’ Category
Black Soldiers Statue at War Memorial Plaza
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100 N Holliday Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 27.21″ N 76° 36′ 36.05″ W
History
Dedicated on May 30, 1972, this monument to African-American servicemen slain in the protection of their country is by artist James E. Lewis. Paid for by an anonymous donor, it stands on the west end of War Memorial Plaza, facing the magnificent War Memorial Building with its aquatic horse statues. Behind the statue rises Baltimore City Hall. The statue was originally installed on the north side of the Battle Monument, but opponents argued it would detract from the importance of that memorial, and it was moved to it’s current location.
Notes
On January 17, 2009, President-Elect Barack Obama came to War Memorial Plaza to deliver a well-attended speech in which he referenced Baltimore and Maryland’s historic role in the formation of the United States. The Black Soldiers Statue stands on the former site of the Holliday Street Theatre, a famous playhouse where Junius and John Wilkes Booth once performed.
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Baltimore City Firefighter’s Memorial
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N Gay Street & E Lexington Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 29.05″ N 76° 36′ 33.06″ W
History
This monument dates from 1990 and is by artist Tylden Streett, who taught for a time at the Maryland Institute College of Art and was also responsible for the statue of Capt. John O’Donnell in Canton Square. The monument is dedicated to all members of the Baltimore City Fire Department, past, present and future. Erected by the Baltimore City Firefighter’s Monument Committee, the statue cost some $150,000, much of which was raised by private donations.
Notes
The statue stands at the north-east corner of War Memorial Plaza, outside of the plaza proper. A sister memorial to Baltimore City’s police lies just to the east across the terminus of the highway, within view of the Shot Tower.
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Hans Schuler’s Centennial Eagle at City Hall
Hans Schuler’s Centennial Eagle, created for the centennial celebration of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, is displayed on City Hall’s second floor. The sculpture, dedicated in 1914, was originally placed on the outside front of the building, but has since been restored and moved inside. A dedication plaque is affixed to the statue’s plinth. Its inscription reads: TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF THE WRITING OF THE AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER”
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