Riverside Park

Who is this monument dedicated to?
This temple-like monument commemorates Union Army soldiers and sailors from New York who served in the Civil War. 370,000 soldiers from New York State fought in the war on behalf of the Union cause, accounting for one out of every five men in the state. Of these, 130,000 were foreign born and 4,125 were free Blacks. There were 534 New York State officers who died in combat, and 12,142 enlisted men who died on the battlefield. Another 7,235 died from wounds incurred in battle, and 27,855 more died of disease. At its dedication in 1902, the event’s principal orator General Albert Shaw commented that it was not a “memorial of conquest, but signifies the Nation’s appreciation of the victors who saved it in the supreme crisis of fate.”

How was this created?
The project commenced in 1893 but was delayed several years because the City and interested parties could not agree on a site for the monument. The initial location at Fifth Avenue and East 59th Street was vetoed by the newly formed Municipal Art Society, followed by a host of other suggestions – Union Square and the Battery among them – each one supported by their own loyal factions. Eventually it was sited on a south-facing Hudson riverfront promontory on Riverside Drive, a companion piece to Grant’s Tomb located two miles north.

City of New York and the Memorial Committee of the Grand Army of the Republic commissioned a public competition in 1897 to select a design. The chosen structure, inspired by Greek antiquity and an elegant example of the “City Beautiful” movement, was by the Stoughton brothers—engineer Charles W. (1860–1944) and architect Arthur A. Stoughton (1867–1955). The first stone was laid in January 1900, with Governor Theodore Roosevelt officiating.

In 1902 on Memorial Day (then called ‘Decoration Day’), the monument was unveiled, following a parade of Civil War veterans up Riverside Drive to the site. By the First World War, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument had become part of a succession of classically-inspired monuments that punctuate the rim of Riverside Drive, set against the rustic landscape of Riverside Park and the river beyond.

A cylinder of white marble with twelve Corinthian columns, it is capped with richly carved ornaments of eagles and cartouches. The design is based upon the ancient Choragic monument of Lysicrates (4th c. BC) in Athens, an iconic form used during the Greek Revival in 19th century America. Standing at around 100 feet, it is larger in scale than the relic it imitates. The plinths atop the south stairs list the New York volunteer regiments that served during the war, as well as the Union generals and the battles they led. The ornament was designed by Paul E. Duboy (1857-1907), best known for his work on the Ansonia. Several features were never realized, including a pathway down to the Hudson and a more developed plaza area to the south of the monument.

In the early 1960s, the City spent over a million dollars in extensive repairs to the monument, including a new roof. In 1976 it was named a municipal landmark. The plaza south of the memorial, featuring three Civil War-era Rodman cannons seating and shade trees, was renovated in 2008. For decades the monument was the terminus of the Memorial Day Parade, and each year hosts an annual Memorial Day observance. Over time the memorial, ceremonial stairway and adjacent terraces have suffered advanced erosion and decay from weathering, and additional damage from vandals. In 2018 due to public safety concerns, the site was sealed pending repair. In 2023 the City allocated substantial funding to restore the glorious monument and terraces and balustrades and provide greater access.

Conditions Survey & Restoration Treatment Survey

On February 22, 2017, NYC Parks and the New York City Office of Management and Budget presented an assessment of the conditions and structure of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial. You can download the presentation to read the findings and recommendations of the survey.

Know Before You Go

Riverside Park

West 79th Street Boat Basin

Riverside Park (79th Street)