851 Grand Concourse
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Adolph A. Weinman James Monroe Hewlett Charles Keck |
 Eight Statuary Groups, 1932 |
 History of the Bronx, 1934 |
Bronx County Building Frieze, 1933
The tall rectangular block sculptures by Adolph A. Weinman are largely allegorical, paying homage to the history of government by law through the ages, beginning with Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They were created with the assistance of collaborators George H. Snowden, Joseph Kiselewski, and Edward F. Sanford. The friezes which run along each facade on either side of simple ionic styled columns are by Charles Keck. As with the Weinman sculptures in the round, Keck's friezes also refer to classical, biblical and symbolic themes including the West Facade frieze depicting the Civil War surrender of General Lee to General Grant; Revolutionary pipers in uniform; images of a young, growing and working America; as well as an allusion to slavery.
Inside the Bronx County Building in the first floor rotunda is the Veteran's Memorial Hall dedicated to the memory of the men of the Bronx who fought in the Spanish-American War and the First World War. The four murals by James Monroe Hewlett (1868-1941), however, illustrate historical moments in the fight for freedom and justice which took place in the Bronx. They were designed in collaboration with Adolph A. Weinman and Charles Keck. The four murals describe: the Settlement of the Territory by Jonas Bronck Under the Dutch; the Establishment of Courts of Justice under the English; The Battle of Pells Point and Defeat of the British; and Reception for George Washington at Van Cortlandt Mansion.
More about James Monroe Hewlett
More about the Grand Concourse
Bronx County Building Frieze, 1933
Eight Statuary Groups, 1932
