Civil War Monument

The
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MONUMENT ASOCIATION
of
SANGERFIELD AND MARSHALL

Established in 1897.

The organization was reportedly “instigated by several patriotic women,” although efforts to document this claim have been unsuccessful.
- Alfred J. Isley for the Waterville Centennial History, 1971


Present at the first meeting, in the Hop Extract Office, were:

W.A. LAWRENCE
A.R. EASTMAN
W.G. MAYER
L.W. GOODWIN
L.D. EDWARDS
C.A. DANIELS
DR. F. J. GORTON
L.P. FUESS
G. SNELL
DR. H. C. BENNETT
I. D. BRAINARD
C. G. BRAINARD
R. J. ROBERTS
H. P. BIGELOW
L. M. KING

The object was “to revive the project of erecting a suitable monument to the honored soldiers and sailors who had fought in the war of 1861-1865.”

“Prompted by public spirit and patriotic impulse,” the Honourable Charlemagne Tower donated (deeded December 31, 1898) a portion of his property to the association for the location of the monument.

On June 15, 1898, after viewing fourteen proposed designs, the association selected one by McDonald, Cutler & Co. of Barre, Vt. At a cost of $2,000.00




Following an open meeting at the Opera House, a fund was started to raise that amount. Although over four hundred residents and friends of the community subscribed to the Monument Fund, it was found that donations totaled only $1,962.00, so the eight* members of the association divided the deficit and each contributed an extra $3.50.


In September 1898, the association also arranged to acquire two Columbiad Cannon and eighty ten-inch cannonballs from the Ordnance Department in Washington to be placed near the base of the monument.

The dedication of the monument took place on Saturday, June 10, 1899. A Grand Parade preceded the Dedication Ceremony, which included music by the Waterville Military Band, several hymns and songs, and at least four speeches, the text of which can all be found in the June 15 issue of the Waterville Times.

In July 1904, the Monument Association voted to acquire a bronze statue for the top of the monument and selected a design by Henry Bonnard Bronze co. of New York City at a cost of $1,350.00. A small mortar which had topped the original monument was then placed on the ground in Monument Park.

In 1926, two German-made machine guns took their places in the Park along with the Columbiad Cannon, cannonballs and stone mortar.



In 1942, all of these – except for the mortar – were donated to the W. W. II Scrap Metal Drive.

*I do not know which eight.

- PsBrown for the Waterville Historical Society, 1990


Note added 11/26/06 The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company of New York City was a well know art foundry and did some of the finest casting in the United States. It operated under the name E. Henry & Bonnard from 1872 to 1881 and under The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company from 1882-1926. They cast many large pieces and memorials dealing with American History and many art pieces including some by Frederick Remington. His famous "The Broncho Buster" was first made by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company as a sand casting, a process that uses molds made of baked sand to hold the molten bronze.

A gallery in New York City is currently listing a small bronze plaque - 8" square, cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., at an estimated $750.00.

Perhaps we do not appreciate "our" statue as much as we should! PsB