War Memorials

Throughout the Bronx, neighborhoods have erected memorials to those who have served in various wars and conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Gulf War. According to the AIA Guide to New York City, the Bronx County War Memorial (1925) is: "One of the handsomest and best maintained monuments in the entire city." Located in Pelham Bay Park at Shore Road and the Bruckner Expressway, the monument is a 75 foot Corinthian column which supports an 18 foot bronze Winged Victory resting on an 18 foot Vermont marble pedestal. At the time it was erected, the site was referred to as the "World War I Memorial Grove in Pelham Bay Park." The architect of the monument was John J. Sheridan, the sculptor was Belle Kinney. The Memorial was dedicated to the country's sons who died during World War I and the site was planted with rows of several hundred trees to approximate the traditional headstones of a military cemetery.

Westchester Square World War Memorial, is in Owen F. Dolan Park at the juncture of East Tremont and Westchester Avenues. The memorial "To perpetuate in grateful remembrance the sacrifice, heroism and devotion of the men and women of the old town of Westchester who in the World War answered the call of their country that justice and righteousness should not perish" is further inscribed on the south and north sides of the memorial: "They died in the service of their country" followed by an alphabetical list of those who died in World War I. On the west side of the memorial are listed the battles at which these heroes fell. The granite pylon was dedicated in 1925 by the people of Westchester.

In 1968 the statue of the Bronx River Soldier was rescued from relative obscurity when it was rediscovered in a warehouse. The statue, originally located in the middle of the Bronx River, at Gunhill Road, had been moved to make way for the construction of the Bronx River Parkway.

Taken from its original site, the statue was virtually forgotten, until an investigation was undertaken by Bert Sack, president and organizer of the Civil War Committee affiliated with the Bronx Historical Society. When found, the statue was considered to be beyond repair due to its years of exposure outdoors. With the assistance of the late Charles Augustoni, head of mausoleum repairs at Woodlawn Cemetery, the statue was restored, and in 1970 was relocated to the grounds of the Bronx Historical Society where it currently occupies a place of distinction.

Located at the southern end of Van Cortlandt Park, and to the rear of the Van Cortlandt Mansion, is William Clarke Noble's statue of Josiah Porter. Executed in bronze, the sculpture is a realistic, freestanding work that pays homage to Porter's career as a soldier and patriot. The lofty representation is depicted in military dress, and stands upon a decorative six foot granite base appointed with "eggplant and dart relief motifs." The placement of the sculpture in this particular park is appropriate, as it is said that the area had been used as a site for military maneuvers during the mid to late nineteenth century.

Detail, The Bronx County War Memorial, 1925

Other war memorials throughout the Bronx include:

Raymond Barger
Parkchester Memorial and Fountain
dedicated, 1940
granite and bronze
7' x 51" x 20.5"
Metropolitan Avenue and Unionport Road
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Jerome Connor
Bronx World War Memorial, 1925
bronze and granite
14' 10" x 7'
Mosholu Parkway, Hull & Perry Avenues
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Aymar Embury II
Hunts Point War Memorial, installed 1936
granite, steel and base
Crames Square
City of New York Parks and Recreation

John Grignola
Bronx River Soldier, ca. 1909
granite, 5' 9" x 3' x 2'
Valentine-Varian House Park
3266 Bainbridge Avenue
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Max Hansle
Washington Bridge World War Memorial, 1923
bronze statue on a granite pedestal
165^th Street & Ogden Avenue
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Charles Keck
Spanish War Memorial, 1919
granite and bronze, 31' high
137^th and at Third and Lincoln Avenues
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Belle Kinney
The Bronx County War Memorial, 1925
Corinthian column, limestone and marble/bronze statue
111' x 163' x 82'
Pelham Bay Park & Shore Road
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Menconi Brothers
Bronx Local Board #2 World War Memorial
granite
3rd Avenue and 139^th Street
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Rudy Messina
Peace Plaza, 1989
five granite tombstones
Pelham Parkway at Williamsbridge Road
City of New York Parks and Recreation

William Clark Noble
Josiah Porter, 1902
granite and bronze, 14' x 8' 3" x 8' 3"
Van Cortlandt Park, Broadway and 245^th Street
City of New York Parks and Recreation

James Novelli
Clason Point War Memorial, 1928
granite and bronze
Woodrow Wilson Square, Soundview and Patterson Avenues
City of New York Parks and Recreation

John Oakman
Westchester Square World War Memorial, 1925
granite
Owen Dolan Park, East Tremont Avenue at Westchester Square
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Anton Schaaf
Colonel Frank Hines Memorial, 1930
bronze and marble
Franklin Avenue at 167^th Street
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Charles W. Stoughton
7th Draft Board War Memorial, 1924
granite, 20" x 9' 5" (diameter)
219^th Street and Bronx River Parkway
City of New York Parks and Recreation

Tiffany Studios
Untitled, ca. 1928
carved oak and gold leaf, 37" x 47"
Morris High School, auditorium
Boston Post Road and 166th Street

War Memorial Gate, 1920
Fordham University
Fordham Road and Southern Blvd.

Jerome Connor
Bronx World War Memorial, 1925