Soldiers And Sailors National Military Museum And Memorial
Coordinates: 40°26′42″N 79°57′23″W / 40.445116°N 79.956442°W / 40.445116; -79.956442
| Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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U.S. Historic district Contributing property |
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| City of Pittsburgh Historic Structure | |
| Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark | |
| Front view of the memorial and its lawn from Fifth Avenue | |
| Location: | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Built: | 1908-1910 |
| Architect: | Henry Hornbostel |
| Architectural style: | Beaux-Arts |
| Governing body: | Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum Trust Inc. |
| Part of: | Schenley Farms Historic District (#83002213) |
| NRHP Reference#: | 74001746 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | December 30, 1974 |
| Designated CP: | July 22, 1983 |
| Designated CPHS: | February 11, 1991 |
| Designated PHLF: | 1970 |
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum (or often simply Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall) is a National Register of Historic Places landmark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest memorial in the United States dedicated solely to honoring all branches of military veterans and service personnel.
It was conceived by the Grand Army of the Republic in the 1890s as a way for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to honor the dwindling ranks of its American Civil War veterans. The Memorial today represents all branches of the service and honors both career and citizen soldiers who have served the United States throughout its history.
Architect Henry Hornbostel designed the memorial in 1907. Dedicated in 1910, the building is in the Beaux-Arts style and is heroic in scale. It is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh at 4141 Fifth Avenue (although the walkway leading to its main entrance is signed as "Matthew Ridgway Blvd." in honor of the World War II and Korean War hero who called Pittsburgh home) and adjacent to the University of Pittsburgh campus and its Cathedral of Learning. The building is set back from Fifth Avenue, featuring expansive and well-kept lawns dotted with large cannons and other war implements. Side streets flanking the building are Bigelow Boulevard and University Place; directly behind is O'Hara Street.
The Memorial houses rare and one-of-a-kind exhibits that span the eras from the Civil War to the present day conflicts. Since 1963 it has operated the "Hall of Valor" to honor individual veterans from the region who went above and beyond the call of duty. Today the hall has over 600 honorees among them are Medal of Honor, The Kearny Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross winners.
The building houses an auditorium seating 2,500, a banquet hall, and meeting rooms, in addition to its museum. The expansive lawn of the memorial sits on top of an underground parking garage operated under a long-term lease by the University of Pittsburgh.
It has served as host for many city, civic, university, and business events including the April 25, 1978 Gulf Oil Corporation shareholders meeting.
Read more about Soldiers And Sailors National Military Museum And Memorial: Fictional Portrayals, References
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“Two soldiers and a villain are enough to blow up the rights of the citizens.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity.”
—Sun Tzu (6–5th century B.C.)
“So far as inland discovery was concerned, the adventurous spirit of the English was that of sailors who land but for a day, and their enterprise the enterprise of traders.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I foresee the time when the painter will paint that scene, no longer going to Rome for a subject; the poet will sing it; the historian record it; and, with the Landing of the Pilgrims and the Declaration of Independence, it will be the ornament of some future national gallery, when at least the present form of slavery shall be no more here. We shall then be at liberty to weep for Captain Brown. Then, and not till then, we will take our revenge.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“In politics, it seems, retreat is honorable if dictated by military considerations and shameful if even suggested for ethical reasons.”
—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)
“A rat eats, then leaves its droppings.”
—Hawaiian saying no. 85, ‘lelo No’Eau, collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui, Bishop Museum Press, Hawaii (1983)
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—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)