WELCOME to the “Hermon A. MacNeil” — Virtual Gallery & Museum !
~ This Gallery celebrates my great Uncle, Hermon Atkins MacNeil an American classic sculptor of the Beaux Arts School. He sculpted Native images and American history: ~ World’s Fairs, statues, monuments, coins, and more… ~ Over 300 stories (25 per page) in 10 pages. (Click on Next Page >> at bottom). View thousands of photos from this virtual MacNeil Gallery. It stretches from New York to New Mexico ~ Oregon to S. Carolina. ~ 2016 marked the 150th Anniversary of Hermon MacNeil’s birth. ~ Hot-links ( lower right) lead to works by Hermon Atkins MacNeil. ~~Do you WALK or DRIVE by MacNeil sculptures DAILY! ~ TRAVEL DIGITALLY to my Uncle Hermon’s works here!
Daniel Neil Leininger, webmaster
DO YOU walk by MacNeil Statues and NOT KNOW IT ???
I picked this up at a recent local coin show. I have not seen one before.
It is larger than a normal quarter dollar. It appears to be made of silver, or at least silver plated.
27.5mm diameter, smooth edge, medal-turn alignment, 8.5 grams.
I have just started researching it, but I have not found much of anything so far.
Working Title/Artist: The Sun Vow Department: Am. Paintings / Sculpture Culture/Period/Location: HB/TOA Date Code: Working Date: 1919 scanned for collections
“I remember visiting the Art museum in the 1950s with my mother, (Ollie Francis McNeil) and being introduced to my Uncle Hermon’s “Sun Vow” for the first time. I did not know that the mammoth eight works we passed under at the main entry were also from Uncle Hermon. Now seven decades and a website later, I am further delighted to know and appreciate this amazing sculptor’s life and works.
Now in 2026 the website of the Saint Louis Art Museum still highlights the 1904 works of Hermon Atkins MacNeil. These eight is revered as a lasting tribute to his Artistry and the recognition of Cass Gilbert, the architect, a century and a quarter ago.
“Art in the Architecture” is a 1 Fine Arts Blog series dedicated to the ornamental details on the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Main Building, which was designed by Cass Gilbertfor the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.In 1904, it was flanked by sprawling temporary wings that together formed the Palace of Fine Arts, which presented fairgoers with approximately 11,000 works of art from 26 countries. It is the sole surviving building from the World’s Fair.
Eight works by American sculptor Hermon MacNeil (1866–1947) were featured in the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Ironically, the most inconspicuously placed of MacNeil’s sculptures for the fair became his most enduring.
On the north façade of the Saint Louis Art Museum, built as the Palace of Fine Arts for the 1904 Word’s Fair, is MacNeil’s plaster relief, a two-dimensional sculpture with three-dimensional components. Ars Artium Omnium (Apotheosis of Art), is a series of three panels above the Museum’s main entrance. Originally crafted from plaster, the relief was later carved in stone and embellished with a gold mosaic background thanks to funds generously provided by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company of 1913. The work was inspired by ancient and Renaissance art; 11 feminine figures stand together, turned inward toward the central form which MacNeil described as an apotheosis.
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Allegories for the city’s attributes flank the central figure on both sides. On the right panel, the figures represent sculpture, painting, and music. The fourth figure on the right can go by any name, according to MacNeil. On the left are the allegories for architecture and the allied arts: ceramic and archaeology. On the middle panel, immediately to the central figure’s right and left side, are representations of the beauty of St. Louis.
Born on the East Coast, MacNeil developed his artistic style through an interest in the culture of Native Americans in the late 1800s. His fascination with their traditions, their land west of the Mississippi, and their treatment by the government encouraged the artist to travel west. There, he studied various cultures, specifically of the Hopi in Arizona, according to Shaping the American West: American Sculptors of the 19th Century. This period allowed him to sculpt with extreme ethnographic detail, which led to an increase MacNeil’s reputation as an artist.
After gaining local recognition and receiving the prestigious William H. Rinehart scholarship, a fund that subsidized European study for young American sculptors, MacNeil moved to Rome to study art. This prompted the creation of his signature style at the time: a unique combination of primitivism and classicism, according to former SLAM curator Andrew Walker in Shaping the American West: American Sculptors of the 19th Century. This blend of styles was prevalent in the works he sculpted for the 1904 World’s Fair.
Another MacNeil sculpture featured in the fair was Physical Liberty, a life-sized recreation of a young man holding a spear, running alongside a charging buffalo. According to Shaping the American West, the sculpture emphasized MacNeil’s harmful, commonly held belief of “assimilation rather than extinction” regarding Native Americans. Physical Liberty was an allegory for the triumph, joy, and liberty felt by the nation after acquiring the Louisiana Purchase territory, a prevalent theme in his practice. Like most sculptures for the fair, it was made of plaster and most likely destroyed afterward, but featured here as a copy of a printed photograph.
The MacNeil sculpture above the main entrance of the Saint Louis Art Museum is a fine example of the Beaux Arts style of World Fairs of this era. (http://www.slam.org/).
A very young looking Hermon A MacNeilin 1887 when hired to teach engineers free hand drawing by Robert H. Thurston, Dean of Engineering at Cornell.
Professor Robert Henry Thurston (1839-1903). Founding Director of the Sibley College School of Engineering of the Cornell University.
“In the 1880s, Thurston was a man of vision who became a central pioneer in the developing field of Mechanical Engineering. He would soon become the first president of the newly organized American Society of Mechanical Engineers (A.S.M.E.). The faculty of Cornell brought him there to start the Sibley College of Engineering.”
“Thurston hired and mentored Hermon Atkins MacNeil from 1886-1889 — age 20 to 23 to teach industrial art, drawing, to the engineering students. A duplicate of this bronze bust and memorial plaque was erected at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) office in NYC. Thurston was the first President of ASME.” [SOURCE: https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com/2013/09/01/professor-robert-henry-thurston-encourager-of-macneils-genius-part-1/
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The young Art Instructor went on teach engineering students to sketch, mold in clay, do orthographic projections.
Key Orthographic Drawing Examples:
Mechanical Parts: Detailed views showing the front, top, and right-side projections of an object to define its exact shape and dimensions.
Simple Block Objects: A 3D model created from 3–6 blocks, sketched from different viewpoints (top, side, front) to understand spatial orientation.
Technical Designs: Shipping containers or a grand piano shown in top, front, and side views for manufacturing.
Dean Thurston wanted his engineering students to:
visualize,
think, and
communicate through drawings.
He wanted a educated artist capable of teaching such skills through.
George Washington was appointed the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army on June 15th, 1775.
H. A. MacNeil’s “Washington at War” balances the east side of the Arch in Washington Square while Alexander Stirling Calder’s “Washington as President” graces the west side. Both sculptors studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and represent that art style.
Hermon MacNeil’s many sculptures and monuments have the Stars and Stripes nearby.
Placed on the Arch in 1916, it has been a favorite rally point for Parades, Protests, and Celebrations.
General George Washington with Flags (U.S. and POW/MIA) ~ Washington Arch Greenwich, NYC (Photo courtesy of: Gibson Shell – 2011)
“My father John Clinton came from N.H. having lived in Nashua and New Boston during the days of pioneering. He learned to do most anything and must have been good in studies as well for at a very early age he was teaching in the “little red school house” during the winters to “eke out” although farming in those days was the main source of supply. At another time (older) he hauled wood to Nashua for the R .R. [railroad] to Boston with oxen, with the mercury often at 32 degrees below.”
“How he came to go south to Chelsea I don’t know but having learned the use of all kinds of tools he took to carpentering and soon found himself in the employ of one Caleb Pratt who had considerable property and the hill on which he was located in Chelsea soon known as Prattville, Mass. He had three daughters, Elizabeth, Carrie, and Mary, and two sons. They all married except Henry who died in middle life and their father (Caleb Pratt) built a home for each of them nearby on the area owned by him. My father helped on these houses and soon had an 1 1⁄2 acres, later increased, on which he built his own house and took to it as his bride Mary Lash Pratt, one of these three daughters and soon was “on his own” building and farming and was appealed to for any kind of work in this rapidly growing neighborhood near Boston.”
“When I came along at the fifth child (Annie, Alice, Caleb, Harriet, Hermon and Wilbur) On Feb, 27, 1866, which I am obligated to take on hearsay as my memory then and now (and always) was not too good on small details. As I grew up I found myself chidken [sic] feed, hoe and milk pail in my hands with orders to use them to best advantage. So, being in a “poor but honest family” there was bery [sic: very] little time for the children to play. During my earliest memories is one of my poor sweet Mother, crippled with rheumatism, hobbling about on crutches and later a wheel chair (Constructed by Father.) She died when I was about 13 yrs. of age.”
“After that I was under the care of my older sisters who stood by manfully in running our home and to whom I hereby give credit for great help to me in “bringing me up”. Also when the bunch of us were little we did have our dear old Margaret servant from Ireland to help in the twelve room home.”
Source [Autobiographical Sketch, Hermon Atkins MacNeil, June 1943, Unpublished from Papers at Cornell Library Archives.]
For over a Century the Arch and Washington statues remain a Rally Point for NYC and the Nation.
Hermon MacNeil sculpted General George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
In 1916 this sculpture was placed on the East plinth of the newly completed Washington Arch.
1946 WWII Victory Parade of the 82nd US Army Airborne between the statues of Geo Washington by Hermon A. MacNeil and Alexander Stirling Caulder.
Two years later on the west Plinth, Alexander Stirling Caulder’s statue of President George Washington was added to the west leg of the Arch.
Forty-Sixyears later Troops of the 82nd Airbornestaged a Victory Parade between the Two memorial statues of Washington, our 1st Commander and President.
Eventually, Fifth Avenue was closed off through the Park, a pond was added to South side, and Washington Park became the pedestrian venue it is today.
Now Eighty-years later, the Arch and both statues continue as a rally point for protests in NYC and the Nation.
OTHER Images from MacNeil work
MacNeil’s likeness of General Washington with Fame guarding from the rear flank.
I viewed and photographed MacNeil’s original plaster model of Washington as Commander of the Continental Army at the Swope Art Museum
inTerre Haute, Indiana,
where the plasters have been in storage since 1947 after the death of the sculptor. His widow Cecelia MacNeil released them from the MacNeil estate.
Jim Haas and Charlie Chiclacos, drove a rental van to Swope Museum in Terre Haute last year to retrieve some of these pieces.
Hermon A. MacNeil’s plaster sculpture of “George Washington” as concept study for the Washington Arch in NYC (1916) [Photo taken at Swope Museum of Terra Haute, IN by Dan Leininger]
Abortion rights activists hold a sign reading “Regulate Guns Not Wombs” as they march from Washington Square Park to Bryant Park protesting the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade by the US Supreme Court, in New York, on June 24, 2022. (Photo by ALEX KENT/AFP via Getty Images) Retrieved April 13, 2023
George Washington Sculptures at Washington Square Arch,Washington Square Park Designed by architect Stanford White, the Arch was dedicated in 1895. Washington as Commander-in-Chief, Accompanied by Fameand Valor was designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil and was installed in 1916. Washington as President, Accompanied by Wisdomand Justice was designed by Alexander Stirling Calder and installed in 1918. A major restoration of the arch was completed in December 2004. Source:[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/M090/news]
On this Two-Hundred-Seventeenth Anniversary of Abe Lincoln’s birth in Kentucky, we have been informed of an odd link between:
The logs of the Lincoln cabin birth place,
College Point, Queens
The Poppenhusen Institute and
Hermon MacNeil
Research by James Haas, has revealed that the logs from the cabin where Abe Lincoln was born were stored briefly in College Point, Queens at the Poppenhusen Institute before they were returned to Kentucky.
Abe Lincoln
The log cabin at Hodgenville, KY inside the Memorial Building.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is a designated U.S. historic park preserving two separate farm sites in LaRue County, Kentucky, where Abraham Lincoln was born and lived early in his childhood. He was born at the Sinking Spring site south of Hodgenville and remained there until the family moved to the Knob Creek Farm northeast of Hodgenville when he was two years old, living there until he was seven years of age. The park’s visitor center is located at the Sinking Spring site.
Sinking Spring
In the late fall of 1808, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln settled on Sinking Spring Farm. Two months later on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born there in a one-room log cabin. Today this site bears the address of 2995 Lincoln Farm Road, Hodgenville, Kentucky. A cabin, symbolic of the one in which Lincoln was born, is preserved within a 1911 neoclassical memorial building at the site. On the site is a Visitor Center and the First Lincoln Memorial.
Memorial Building
A Beaux-Artsneo-classical Memorial Building was designed by John Russell Pope for the birthplace site. On February 12, 1909, the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt and the building was dedicated on November 9, 1911, by President William Howard Taft.[3] Almost a hundred years after Thomas Lincoln moved from Sinking Spring Farm, a similar log cabin was placed inside the Memorial Building. The Memorial Building features 16 windows, 16 rosettes on the ceiling, and 16 fence poles, representing Lincoln being the 16th president. The 56 steps leading up to the building entrance represent his age at his death.[4]
MacNeil’s “Lincoln Lawyer” At the Rushville, Illinois Public Library.
This photo of Hermon MacNeil outside his studio with “The Pilgrim Fathers” monument has never been posted before. Thank You, Jim Haas!
James Haas, sent the photo and this message:
Jim Haas rests his arm on his fifth book, Hermon Atkins MacNeil. Below that are his 4 other published works on College Point history.
Hello Dan,
Working at my desk waiting for weather more likely to be en route to you part of the country, I thought you might enjoy this photo that I found yesterday.
I was preparing a collection of MacNeil
ephemera/
information etc. that I am sending to the MacNeil archives at the Poppenhusen Institute. It was included in a set of photos sent to me by the Frick Museum in NYC back when I was doing research. The picture was taken at the rear door of MacNeil’s studio in the fall of 1928 prior to the model being sent on to San Francisco for the NSS Palace of the Legion of Honor. A photo appeared in the Exhibition Catalogue. Prior to the event, (April-October 1929), over 1,200 pieces of sculpture were sent in seventeen railroad cars with all costs paid for by Archer Huntington who had put up $100,000 to do that. His wife Anna Hyatt Huntington showed seventeen pieces. MacNeil also exhibited his two-ton work Into the Unknown that is still used as the logo for the NSS.
Jim
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Harrub Pilgrim Memorial.
Harrub Pilgrim Memorial in a new location
Harrub Pilgrim Memorial in a new location
More about this marker. The 175 ton, 60 foot long Harrub Pilgrim Memorial was carved out of French granite by Herman Atkins MacNeil of New York. Charles Harrub, an engineer for the American Brass Company, donated the $100,000 needed for the project to honor his wife and the Pilgrims. Dedicated October 11, 1930 at its original location at the entrance to Chase Park across from the Freight Street bridge (about 1 mile away), it was moved for the construction of the Interstate Route 84 / Route 8 interchange and is now located at the corner of Highland Avenue and Chase Parkway.
MacNeil Month 2022 ~ Week 2 ~ (5.8) ⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐⇐|⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒ Every February is MacNeil Month here, … at http://HermonAtkinsMacNeil.com…
In 1916 Hermon MacNeil placed an Eagle in flight on the reverse of the Quarter he was commissioned to design. The eagle’s presence on U.S. coinage has always been a powerful visual representation of American freedom, power, and resilience, evolving from traditional heraldry to artistic masterpieces
However, that coin would come to be known by its Obverse design, namely, as the “Liberty Standing Quarter”.
Both sides of that coin would come to both admired and challenged. Extensive articles have been posted on this website previously… CLICK HERE:
EARLY SKETCHES:
MacNeil’s Early Sketches for the LSQ [Liberty Standing Quarter] were auctioned recently. (October 2025)
Jim Haas has captured auction results showing some of Hermon MacNeil’s creative thinking about EAGLES and depicting an Eagle in flight for the reverse side of the LSQ.
The “Sculptors MacNeil” were wed in 1895 in Chicago. Christmas Eve marked the 130thAnniversary of their nuptials…
As well as, … my 15th year as Webmaster/Host of www.HermonAtkinsMacNeil.com . These words are my 326th posting of their life and work together as the “Sculptors MacNeil”.
Wow! I never expected to create such a vast & virtual compendium of my “Uncle Hermon.” He and my grandfather Tom Henry McNeil were actually cousins.But he told his four children to address him as “Uncle Hermon.”
Their wedding reception was held in Hermon’s new studio in the Marquette Building. They would enter through the doors where his four bronze panels of the life of Fr. Pere Marquette were installed. Here is how they look after cleaning and re-installation several years ago.
Married in a private ceremony on Christmas Day Hermon and Carol MacNeil had a reception in the Marquette Building
Etching of young Carol Louise Brooks by William Harry Warren Bicknell ~ about 1891 ~ four years before her marriage to Hermon A. MacNeil. Bicknell was a colleague of her painter-father, Alden Brooks.
Marriage License of Hermon Atkins MacNeil and Carol Louise Brooks issued on December 24th, 1895 and solemnized on Christmas Day 1895 by Rev. Edward F. Williams, the Congregational Minister of the Brooks family in Winnetka, Illinois, north of Chicago.
This sculpture of Joe Foss would meet with Hermon MacNeil’s full approval as true to his heroic designs.dnl
2025
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This Statue of our South Dakota Hero stands at Joe Foss Field at the entrance of the Terminal in Sioux Falls, South Dakotawhere Joe later became Governor.
The local statue is our choice for Veterans DayHonors. The realism is consistent with Hermon MacNeil’s vision of a Beau Arts hero.
Even though it stands 1400 Miles and 79 Years away from Hermon MacNeil’s studio and home in College Point, Queens, New York.
This sculpture of Joe Foss would meet with Hermon MacNeil’s full approval as true to his heroic Beau Arts designs
Enormous crowds came to MacNeil’s statue of William McKinley.
“Prosperity and Peace,” two of MacNeil’s allegorical figures interpreting Pres. McKinley’s life, look into the “NO KINGS” crowd as ‘bronze’ witnesses of a bygone century.
The “NO KINGS” crowds filled the Ohio Capitol grounds as shown in these photos.
The base behind the statue made a focal stage for speakers at the ‘NO KINGS’ rally as crowds covered the east lawn of the Capitol in Columbus, Ohio.
MacNeil’s statue of McKinley is centered ~300 yards away, just above the bills of the 2 men in ballcaps, and framed at the bottom of the glass building across the street.
The back of the pedestal of the McKinley Statue had crowds and signs flowing to the street.
Below, between the two USFlags the brown bronze statue of MacNeil’sblacksmith⇓ can be seen as part of the crowd.
Crowds line the side walk and Pedestal. Most were likely mindless of the tribute that saluted a slain President who was Governor of Ohio from 1891-1895, then US President from 1897-1901.
The Two Ladies, Peace and Prosperity, that MacNeil created to interpret the life of PresidentWilliamMcKinley
MacNeil’s Blacksmith and youngapprentice symbolized “Industry” and “Trade” in tribute to McKinley‘s Life.
On any regular day, the view at the McKinley Memorial is definitely less crowded.
H. A. MacNeil Sculpted the McKinley Monument at Ohio State Capitol
McKinley’s pose here resembles MacNeil’s statue of him in 1904. (Credit: Frances B. Johnson- Ohio Historical Society-AL00501)
The following article (by our Webmaster) was accepted for posting on theTHE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASEadded to the existing story there.
MacNeil’s McKinley at Ohio Statehouse plaza
3. H. A. MacNeil Sculpted the McKinley Monument in Columbus Ohio. Hermon Atkins MacNeil (1866-1947) sculpted this monument consisting of the statue of President McKinley and the two accompanying grouping of figures on either side. These extra figures seek to represent the values that McKinley lived out and for which grieving citizens chose to remember him.
Industry & Trade are symbolized by the first group. The man of great strength instructs the youthful student beside him. Here the artist seeks to depict strength and wisdom being passed on to the next generation. The other figures, a gracious woman ( “Prosperity” ) with her arm encircling a little maiden (“Peace” ) are meant by MacNeil to symbolize those ideals as well as the joy and virtues of domestic life. These female figures are placing the palm leaves and flowers of peace over the sword and helmet of war.
MacNeil commented twenty years after completing this monument that while he worked very hard on sculpting the portrait of the President, he could follow his fancy in making the other figures. They only needed to convey the values and ideals consistent with McKinley and the Monument’s purpose there on the Capitol Plaza. MacNeil considered them all some of his finest works. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor
— Submitted March 18, 2011, by Dan Leininger of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Purchasers of the MacNeil Medallion often share unique memories of the SLQ.
Perhaps none are as strange as one shared this week.
When I contacted James R. Russell of New York City after his recent purchase, I asked “Are you a coin collector, a SLQ collector, of a MacNeil relative? Blessings, Daniel Neil Leininger”
His response shocked me:
Dear Daniel, Thank you for your very kind letter. And here I thought I knew NYC public sculpture. Actually the reason for my purchase is somewhat arcane. Many years ago I was walking along the surf on Fire Island with my life partner, who passed away a year and a half ago. We came upon a large number of beached horseshoe crabs, and spent the better part of an hour gingerly returning them to the water. After the last one I said jokingly to Dennis, “You’d think they’d leave us a tip.” At that exact instant a breaking wave flipped a coin at my feet: a standing liberty quarter somewhat corroded by the seawater but not that much. I swear it’s all true.
Should you find yourself in New York, please come to dinner at my humble abode. I’m a native of this neighborhood and have returned after many decades. Be well and God bless, James
Horseshoe Crab. [source: Sierra Exif JPEG]
Horseshoe Crabs emerge on the north Atlantic shores including Long Island, NY, or in James story, FireIsland. Thousands come there each May and June, to mate and lay eggs. The crabs prefer breeding at nighttime during high tide within a few days of the full moon and new moon. A single female can lay over 100,000 eggs in a single season. After 2-4 weeks, the eggs hatch and larval horseshoe crabs head toward the water.
Delaware is honored to have the world’s largest population of spawning horseshoe crabs—but for how long?
This is truly the most unique Standing Liberty Quarter story I have received in the 15 years I have build this website.
What an amazing story of the SLQ that the Fire Island turf washed up to you and Dennis as a tip for your kind deeds. I’d love to share it on the website. … May you enjoy your Medallion and memories of the blessings of life with Dennis.
MacNeilPark was originally called ChisholmPark but was renamed in 1966 after HermonA. MacNeil.
The MacNeil home and studio were located on the eastern boundary of the Park but were sold and torn down in the 1950’s years after the death of Hermon and Carol MacNeil.
This video captures the beauty of MacNeil’s view of the Bay of the East River:
Where the Manhattan skyline filled their horizon;
Where Mayor LaGuardia used the old Chisholm Mansion as a summer home to cool from the heat of New York City;
Where later, airplanes would arrive and depart from the airport christened, “Fiorello LaGuardia Airport;”
Where the Whitestone Suspension Bridge joined the Borough of Queens with that of the Bronx;
Where Hermon and Carol purchased their home and land in 1902.
Where Hermon built his Stone Studio out of rocks gleaned from the East river shoreline;
Where the “Sculptors MacNeil” spent fortyyears making their lifetime of sculpture models and works.
Where they kept their boat on their dock behind the Studio;
Where Boats and jet skis still play
And where beautiful sunsets are seen over the sky line of New York City.
Carol Brooks MacNeil in 1907 with their two sons, Claude (rt) and Alden (lt) at their College Point Home in Queens, NYC, NY where she lived until her death in 1944.
Postcard of MacNeilstudio in College Point built by Hermon’s own hands. [From the webmaster’s collection].
Hermon A. MacNeil Park:
A Brief History
This park is named for Hermon A. MacNeil (1866 – 1947), an American sculptor who is known for designing the Standing Liberty quarter and sculpting the east pediment on the United States Supreme Court Building.
In 1835, Reverend William Augustus Muhlenberg purchased 134 acres of land in the area as the site of a new Episcopal seminary. Due to the financial Panic of 1837, plans for an expensive stone school building were abandoned. Muhlenberg’s sister, Mrs. Rogers, purchased the remaining stone for her own mansion, and a new frame building rose on the school’s masonry foundation. St. Paul’s College, for which College Point is named, opened in 1839 and closed about ten years later.
William F. Chisolm, a former St. Paul’s student, married Mary Rogers, the niece of Reverend Muhlenberg, in 1848. The young couple moved into the stone mansion on the grounds of the defunct school.
This 1932 photo of the mansion which was built in 1848. Mayor LaGuardia used the mansion as his “Summer City Hall” in 1937 when the MacNeil’s lived next door.
The remaining campus buildings were used by residents of College Point, Strattonport, and Flammersburg. The school chapel provided a place for religious services, the dormitories and outbuildings served as private residences, and the school building continued to function as a school for many years.
In 1930, the City of New York acquired the mansion and its grounds for a public park—College Point Shore Front Park. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia made the Chisolm mansion his summer City Hall in 1937, conducting his municipal business in July and August on the shores of the East River. The old mansion was razed between 1939 and 1941, and a flagpole marks the site.
In 1966, Mayor John V. Lindsay signed his first local law, which renamed the park for world-renowned sculptor, HermonAtkinsMacNeil, who lived and worked in College Point. Born in Everett, Massachusetts, MacNeil graduated from Massachusetts Normal Art School and became an Instructor at Cornell University. He became a National Academician in 1906 and went on to create one of his important works—The Moqui Prayer for Rain. MacNeil died on October 2, 1947 in College Point.
His sculptures can be seen in four of the five boroughs in New York City, including Washington as Commander–in–Chief at the base of the Washington Square Arch in Manhattan; a cast of his SunVow in the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn; the FlushingWarMemorial in Queens; and four busts in the Hall of Fame of Great Americans at Bronx Community College. This popular northern Queens green space is located along the East River and features waterfront views, kayak and canoe launching sites, handball and basketball courts, and more.
JamesHaas has recently had a first-time experience of posing as a model. He did so at the
Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore,MD.
Jim has done many things, BUT THIS was a first.
He experienced sculpture from the other side.
He sent photos of his two picks from the sessions.
Jim says the second sculptor was a student named Ana. She is also a very talented painter. Born in Italy she came to America to study art. Were you to speak with her, you would hear not a trace of an Italian accent. A number of her paintings have been exhibited and her future looks bright.
The sculptor’s name is Dooree. She graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in June. [Webmaster notes: This captures Jim in his familiar grin.]
Jim reflected about the sessions:
Having written and published a biography of American sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil, I have had a few occasions to mention the models he used for a number of his works. That being said, I had no real understanding of what being an artist’s model entailed. And then my friend Bob Copskey, professor of sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art asked if I would serve as the model for a portrait bust to be modeled by his students. I said “yes.”
Jim continues: … “on the appointed day one as I drove to the school, I will admit to experiencing some small amount of anxiety. While I knew I would be asked to assume a pose that would have to be maintained for a number of hours, I wondered if I would be able to stay in one position for that length of time, and what would I think about?”
He sent a photo of the whole class at the Maryland Institute College of Art:
“Returning the following week, the morning was spent with the students refining their work, the routine pretty much the same.
In the afternoon I once again gave a presentation on MacNeil followed by a review of the fifteen portrait busts during which I observed that I had never given much thought to what the back of my head looked like. Some students laughed. I enjoyed seeing every effort, a few from more experienced students standing out. Had it been possible I would have purchased one or two. Alas, the clay was remanded to the bins, but cell phone photos were taken … Sic transit gloria mundi.
Closeup of Dooree’s final sculpture of Jim Haas. [Webmaster notes: This captures Jim in his familiar grin.]
Portrait bust in clay by Ana from Italy studying in Maryland Institute College of Art
For More: Read Jim’s Reflections:
“Confessions of a First-Time Artist’s Model:
Having written and published a biography of American sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil, I have had a few occasions to mention the models he used for a number of his works. That being said, I had no real understanding of what being an artist’s model entailed. And then my friend Bob Copskey, professor of sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art asked if I would serve as the model for a portrait bust to be modeled by his students. I said yes and on the appointed day one as I drove to the school, I will admit to experiencing some small amount of anxiety. While I knew I would be asked to assume a pose that would have to be maintained for a number of hours, I wondered if I would be able to stay in one position for that length of time, and what would I think about?
Having given presentations about MacNeil to his students in past years, I was familiar with the studio and as it happened, had once been present to observe a model at work. At the time I did not take note of the revolving platform on which she sat, but as the session began, Bob explained that the centrally placed stage would be rotated slightly every couple of minutes. This would enable the students standing at their platforms circling the platform to have a 360 degree of my neck and head. “Call for a break at any time, assume a pose that is comfortable,” Bob directed, “and to the extent possible, maintain it by focusing on a specific floor to ceiling point. “No problem” says I and so the session began.
I watched as each student leaned into the bins to scrape the clay that would be applied, layer upon layer and bit by bit to the armature that would in time be transformed into their collective versions of yours truly. Never having sat in one position for so long a time, it was easier than I thought it would be and no breaks were taken. So, what went through my mind in the course of the two hours that followed?
For some, but not all, modeling a portrait bust was a new experience. Some were tentative; others set their minds and hands to the task at hand and, as expected, all took a turn at Prof. Copskey’s request, to “please turn the model.” As the first hour passed and much clay having been applied to their armatures, a number of students began to approach the stand to examine my head from every vantage point possible. I studiously avoided their prying eyes at the same time being curious as to what exactly they were trying to see and wondering if they would be able to retain their findings when they got back to their work stands.
Over the course of two and half hours, I had made two 360-degree revolutions around the room charting the progress of the fifteen artists noting what each of three males and twelve females did as they worked. Some had ear buds leading me to wonder if they were listening to music. One of them, a young lady, was very definitely dancing to the beat she was hearing, so I knew she was. As for the others, well, who’s to say? Common to all was the look of intent and purpose each wore as I looked at them and they looked back.
As I made my two revolutions, I watched and listened to the counsel given to each by Prof. Copskey, always encouraging, never without a positive suggestion based on many years of classroom teaching, he himself an accomplished sculptor and medalist. I thought “How fortunate they are!”
A welcome lunch break followed during which Bob asked how I thought the day was progressing, was I comfortable and other related questions. My truthful answer was that “Yes, I was very comfortable, that holding the suggested pose was not difficult, and that I was enjoying the whole experience more than I thought I would.”
Returning to the studio it did not surprise me to see the young artists already working the clay refining their version of their model’s head. Once again, I mounted the platform and retook what I thought was this morning’s pose, but was surprised when Bob, employing his many years of teaching made suggestions, very gently, that I adjust the tilt of my head ever so slightly, alter the expression on my face and as much as possible, focus my eyes and the level of my gaze as I had in the morning session. The afternoon session went well.
Returning the following week, the morning was spent with the students refining their work, the routine pretty much the same. In the afternoon I once again gave a presentation on MacNeil followed by a review of the fifteen portrait busts during which I observed that I had never given much thought to what the back of my head looked like. Some students laughed. I enjoyed seeing every effort, a few from more experienced students standing out. Had it been possible I would have purchased one or two. Alas, the clay was remanded to the bins, but cell phone photos were taken. Sic transit gloria mundi.”
HERE’S more of the story of how MacNeil’s Pony Express got fixed.
The repairs I saw on May 18th showed two faint yellow strap marks on the base in two places.
The News Press NOW photo shows two yellow nylon cargo straps that allowed the “Poncho Villa” beastthat was Hermon MacNeil’s model for this statue of horse flesh to be suspended. That’s how the old cracked base could be removed and a new stone base set in place.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An iconic symbol of St. Joseph’s history is getting a much-anticipated tune-up today in the form of a brand new statue base.
Contractors with Brooner Construction & Crane are on site in Downtown St. Joseph, replacing the 45-ton granite base that holds the bronze Pony Express Rider statue. The statue will be removed from the base during construction to allow a new 23-ton granite base to be installed.
The entire replacement process is expected to take place over one or two days, according to contractors and city officials. The pedestal is being replaced due to decades of exposure, which has caused micro-cracking and deterioration.
The statue was first constructed in 1938 and officially opened to the public in 1940. Just over $367,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds were allocated to make the project possible.
Between the monument’s historical significance to St. Joseph and the City Hall’s centennial celebration set for 2027, a newly repaired statue will compliment a variety of planned Civic Center Park upgrades across the street, including extensive repairs to sidewalks, the fountain and the replacement of the west-facing park balustrade with a new stairwell.
I stopped in St. Joe, MO on May 18, 2025 and took this picture.
~~
I was surprised to see finished repairs as I stopped in St. Joe, MO on May 18, 2025. All four faces of the base appeared newly repaired and engraved after 85 years of deterioration. See old photo ==>>
The Pony Express statue was Hermon MacNeil’s last public monument when unveiled in 1940.
It marks the first station on the westward mail route route to Sacramento, California filling the gap where the railroad was still under construction.
The Pony Express Monument has welcomed residents to Downtown St. Joseph on Frederick Avenue since it was first constructed in 1938, but decades of exposure are causing the massive granite slab that holds the bronze statue to deteriorate, compromising the entire structure.”
I was surprised to see finished repairs on May 18, 2025. They first thought that the base needed to be replaced and repairs would take up to 2 years.
The NYC Library Building on Fifth Avenue was a Beaux Arts Masterpiece of the Picarrilli Brothers inside and out.
The famous library lions of NYC, Patience (near) and Fortitude (far left), are located at the entrance of this building on Fifth Avenue. The library lions were sculpted by Edward Clark Potter and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers.
In addition to carving the lions for The New York Public Library, the Piccirilli Brothers carved the six allegorical figures representing History, Romance, Religion, Poetry, Drama, and Philosophy that adorn the Library’s Fifth Avenue facade. [see them above the 3 arches]
New York Public Library’s Main Branch, specifically its flagship building at 476 Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The famous library lions, Patience and Fortitude, are located at the entrance of this building. The library lions were sculpted by Edward Clark Potter and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. The Main Branch, also known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, is a Beaux-Arts masterpiece and a New York City Landmark.
Piccirilli Statues above Fifth Street entrance.
A few of the Piccirilli Statues on NYPL: (obscured: History, Romance, Religion) Visible L to R:Poetry, Drama, and Philosophy.Inscriptions between the sculptures bear the names of library benefactors John Jacob Astor, James Lenox, and Samuel Jones Tilden.
MacNeil’s Statue of
John Stewart Kennedy
John Stewart Kennedy bust in New York Public Library
A BRIEF NOTEfrom the Webmaster:
“I did not discover this bust by Hermon A. MacNeil until 2020, 100 YEARS after this sculpture was installed in its niche at New York Public Library. Here’s the story we found!”
“The John Stewart Kennedy Memorial was completed and the bust of Mr. Kennedy by H. A. MacNeil, the sculptor, was installed in the niche prepared for it in the Fifth Avenue entrance lobby. Mr. Kennedy was formerly the President of the Lenox Library, and upon the consolidation became a Trustee and Second Vice-President of The New York Public Library, in which capacities he continued to serve until his death in 1909. He took an active part in the negotiations, which resulted in the consolidation, and the deep interest, which he displayed in the development of the Library and his liberal benefactions to it will be ever remembered.” [SOURCE: Bulletin of the New York Public Library, Volume 24: January to December 1920, New York, 1920]
A number of Hermon MacNeil’s sculptures were carved to full size by the Piccirilli Brothers. This family’s skills were quietly deployed by dozens of Beaux Arts sculptors and architects to complete monuments and buildings all over New York City and beyond.
The Piccirilli Brothers were renowned carvers of many of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
In 1888 Giuseppe Piccirilli (1844-1910), a well-known stone carver, brought his family to New York from Massa, Italy. The entire family, father and six sons – Attilio, Feirrucio, Furio, Getulio (Giulio), Masaniello, and Orazio – were trained as marble cutters and carvers. After Giuseppe died in 1910, his six sons carved for thirty more years.
They lived in a brownstone on 142nd Street in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and set up a stone-carving atelier next to their home that would eventually occupy an entire city block.[https://www.nypl.org/about/history/piccirilli-brothers]
Philadelphia – Hermon MacNeil – Soldiers And Sailors Monument Sailors side – Being photographed by Dan Leininger, webmaster).
Two of the MacNeil monuments shaped by the hands of these five Italian family are:
General George Washington with Flags (U.S. and POW/MIA) ~ Washington Arch Greenwich, NYC (Photo courtesy of: Gibson Shell – 2011)
The George Washington: Commander in Chief, on the Washington Arch in New York City.
1916 Photo of the installation of the MacNeil statue. Thia appears to have the statue sitting in the right hand leg of the Arch. The left leg is where it was permanently installed. This photo was salvaged from a NYC flea market by John Gomez and used with his permission Credit: John Gomez, NYC. The Piccirilli’s were specialists who would take a clay statue designed by a sculptor and exactly reproduce it in marble stone. They were expert stone-carvers proficient in marble. Carrara in Tuscany, Italy was a major source of Italian Marble.
Title: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Memorial
Artist: Hermon Atkins MacNeil (1866 – 1947)
Year: 1921; installed 1927; relocated 1954–1955
Location: Logan Square, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 20th Street
Medium: Two pylons, Tennessee marble, on granite bases
A large piece of granite is broken off the 45-ton base of the Pony Express Rider statue in August, 2024 in Downtown, St. Joseph.Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW
“After more than 85 years, Mother Nature is beginning to take a toll on a longtime centerpiece of Downtown and symbol of St. Joseph’s history.
The Pony Express Monument has welcomed residents to Downtown St. Joseph on Frederick Avenue since it was first constructed in 1938, but decades of exposure are causing the massive granite slab that holds the bronze statue to deteriorate, compromising the entire structure.”
It did not look that way in 2013 when I visited the statue.
2013 ~ The Pony Express at St Joseph, Missouri. Dan Leininger, webmaster. After visiting it many times as a small boy, The Pony Express is NOW part of Dan’s ongoing research into his ‘great Uncle’ Hermon Atkins MacNeil.
“I don’t know exactly how long it takes for water to damage granite, but it has finally won the battle. … If (water) finds a crack, a hole, anything that it can get into, it will eventually destroy whatever it’s getting into.”
Jeff Atkins St. Joseph Assistant Parks Director
“The two-piece granite base weighs in at a whopping 45 tons. Various sections of the granite base are cracking or falling off altogether, creating large holes that will only continue to get worse over time. The statue was first constructed in 1938 and officially opened to the public in 1940.
It’s a long COLD ride of REPAIRS ahead ~dnl
Now, parks officials are laying the groundwork to ensure its preservation. The bronze statue will have to be lifted and separated before the granite base is removed and replaced with a new custom-made structure. Granite for the project will be supplied from Vermont.
The St. Joseph City Council is expected to vote on a contract with Brooner Construction and Crane for the project at its next meeting Sept. 3, opening the door for the project to move forward.
“That will allow them a full 13-month window to do the project,” Atkins said. “People just don’t have 45-ton pieces of granite laying around with the Pony Express wording. It takes time to get something like that done. You’ve got to essentially build something.”
The replacement project comes with a costly price tag: $367,269 in American Rescue Plan Act funds will be budgeted to create and install the new base.
“VanVickle Monuments here in town is also partnering with Brooner so we’ve got a local expert that’s going to be working with the statue,” Atkins said.
Between the monument’s historical significance to St. Joseph and the city’s centennial celebration set for 2027, a newly-repaired statue will compliment a variety of planned Civic Center Park upgrades across the street, including extensive repairs to sidewalks, the fountain and replacement of the west-facing park balustrade with a new stairwell.
“People from all over come to St. Joseph to visit not only the monument for pictures, but they go to the Pony Express Museum,” Atkins said. “Some of us who have grown up here in St. Joe, we kind of take it for granted.” Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW
Stay tuned for Repair photos next time I am in St Joseph, Missouri. …
Here are further details on the Albany Soldiers and Sailors Monument from the The Albany Evening Journal, Sat. Oct. 6, 1912.
$100,000 was appropriated by the New York State Legislature
The final site selection was in Washington Park rather than the first in Capitol Park
A competition for design was held. The Five Jurists were:
Daniel Chester French, sculptor
Arnold W. Brunner – architect, city planner
Will H. Low – painter
William R. Mead, architect
Herbert Adams – sculptor
The Jury selected the submission of Hermon Atkins MacNeil. His design was chosen over five other noted sculptors. The jury pronounced it “the most meritorious … exceedingly chaste and dignified.”
Architects, Lord and Hewlett of New York, were associated with MacNeil’s design. They had also partnered with MacNeil on the William McKinley Monumentat the Ohio Capitol grounds in Columbus.
“The jury was unanimous in its opinion that the memorial would prove not only a beautiful piece of monumental work but something unusual. Experts who have seen it say Albany may well be proud as it will be discussed and admired in art circles the world over.”
MacNeil titled his work “The Nation in Peace Won Through Victorious War“
He said he submitted this form “because with the abundance of foliage in Washington Park” which offered background and setting for the monument.
“The dark bronze group would tend to mix and confuse with the trees and the foliage.” The mammoth white marble gave a vigorous contrast as well as being a particularly appropriate framing for the memorial.”
In addition, MacNeil’s plan of sculpting the soldiers, sailors, uniforms and equipment in bas relief would render the images more interesting and complete.
The title that MacNeil proposed implied a “just peace” rather than glorifying war. The broken shackles of slaves were made a component part of plinth on which the bronze Victory statue stands.
While MacNeil was at work on the various models in his studio at College Point, members of the Albany committees paid him many visits and changes were frequently suggested.
All these efforts added meaningful details to the multiple relief designs on all sides of the monument.
Albany, NY: This colorized post card of the 1912 “Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Albany, just blocks from the State Capitol shows the Rear view of that 22 foot Marble piece.
Eighty figures are sculpted in bas relief on the four sides of the tennessee marble. As previously posted, MacNeil named over a dozen women who served as Sculpture assistants in crafting the models for this monument in his College Point Studio. It is the the 2nd largest of his four Civil War Monuments.
1 Whitenville, Massachusetts, 1905. below ⇓and Right ⇒
Joel Rosenkranz shared notes naming people, all women, who assisted MacNeil in the creation of the Albany memorial as he sculpted the clay models at his Studio in College Point
Perhaps the he Drummer Boy has a feminine touch
Joel shared research notes listing Female names of Sculptor Assistants who worked on the model of the Albany Monument. [Source: 1922Oct16-AlbanyMem-HaasNotes ]
Joel states:
Some of the surnames will be familiar and maybe some of the given names as well. Their ages range from 21 to 46, which is an interesting span. I looked at the memorial and all the figures except the nine foot woman are men as far as I can tell. Do you think he used women as models for the soldiers and sailors? [Perhaps the Drummer Boy came from feminine hands and talents? dnl].
Here is a little about each if you ever plan to develop a story behind the piece.
He adds the following research into Hermon’scadreof feminine artists and neighbors:
Katherine Breck lived in the village Flushing to the south of College Point. She was 41 and the wife of George Breck, the artist who you undoubtedly know. In 1910 he was still in Rome.
Emily DeNeufville was the twenty-two year-old daughter of August who was a stockbroker and an artist as well. In time she married a gent named Colman Wynne.
Lena Schiiler (46) and Bianca Schiiler, (54) were both single women, teachers. I don’t think either ever married.
Mercy Clare is probably Mary Clair the 21 year-old daughter of Francis Clair who owned an insurance company and was an important man in the life of College Point. A politician as well, he lived next door to HAM.
The Bardenhauer women, Clara, 44, and Alvina, 46, also lived near him. The former was a teacher at Flushing H.S. , and after leaving a College Point elementary school, Alvina taught German in nearby Newtown H.S. in Elmhurst. It does not appear either ever married and Alvina died at the age of 81 in 1944.
In 1911 Irma Weitling18, was another assistant. Her father WilliamWeitling was head accountant at the Poppenhusen Rubber factory. In time he would become president only to die in a car accident in Florida in 1932.
Mrs. Edwin Charles was the wife of the artist/painter who you probably know. I found a few of his paintings via google and liked them.
Alice Clark was a 29 year-oild kindergarten teacher probably in College Point. She lived in the Graham Mansion, a storied piece of property about which I’ve written once owned by Captain Graham. Some said there were underground railroad tunnels under his property, but I don’t think there were.
There were a few women named Florence Tyler living in Queens, but without another a fact or two, I can’t say which one would have assisted Hermon MacNeil.
To these names given by Joel Rosenkranz, I would add another:
Carol Brooks MacNeil
Carol Brooks MacNeil as Hermon’s first female assistant, and sculptor-partner for life, she was always there. I imagine that she added clay modeling and teamwork skills to the efforts of these dozen women. Many hands completed the manifold tasks that produced this sparkling marble monument and over eighty bas relief figures.
Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument (reverse) in Washington Park, Albany NY
Hermon MacNeil’s Female Assistants for Albany Work
Alice Clark
Alvina Bardenhauer
Bianca Schiiler
Carol Brooks MacNeil
Clara Bardenhauer
Emily DeNeufville
Erma Weitling
Florence Tyler
Katherine Breck
Lena Schiiler
Mercy Clare
Mrs Edwin Charles
Related posts:
1912 Albany Honors Their Own (8.3) Celebrating Hermon MacNeil’s 159th Birthday Anniversary 1866-2025 Albany’s Civil War…
The greenery of Albany’s Washington Park provides the setting for this marble monument sculpted by Hermon A. MacNeilsitting on a granite base, with a bronze female statue representing the Nation, as she cradles the palms and garlands of victory. The monument represents “The Nation at Peace Won Through Victorious War”.
It was erected by the Grand Army of the Republic as a monument to Civil War veterans. Restored in 1986, it was renamed the Albany Veterans Memorial Monument. On October 5, 2012, after another restoration funded by the Washington Park Conservancy, the Monument was rededicated at a ceremony which marked the city’s official observation of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War.
In a competition to select the design the commission selected Hermon MacNeil over five other sculptors. The bronze figure represents “The Nation at Peace Won Through Victorious War”.
The monument is 22 ft. high and 21 ft. wide; it’s built from Tennessee marble and granite from Stoney Creek.
Etched in marble behind Victory are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense.
The inscription reads:
“In commemoration of the men of Albany who gave their lives to save the Union, and in grateful recognition of all whose patriotism aided to giving to this nation under God a new birth of freedom, in making love of country a national virtue and endowing our land with peace and prosperity. “
The bronze figure of Victory represents the country. She holds palms of victory and peace, and a sheathed sword of war. Etched in marble behind her are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense. On the other side is a Civil War battery in action. One end shows a wounded drummer boy; the other a soldier returning to his wife and child. There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
Back side shows a Civil War artillery battery in action.
Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument in Washington Park, Albany NY
The right end shows a wounded drummer boy.
The Left end shows a soldier coming home to his wife and child.
There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
Friends of Albany told the monuments story this way:
Sometimes we take for granted the things we see every day. The Monument honoring Albany men who served in the Civil War probably falls into that category. It sits at the entrance to Washington Park at Henry Johnson Blvd.
Estimates vary, but we think about 7,000 -8,000 Albany soldiers and sailors served in the Civil War (Keep in mind the population of the city was about 62,000 in 1860.) They were old and young, married and single, and they were white and African American.
Yes, there were Black troops from Albany in the War. Most served in “Colored” regiments, but some served in “regular” regiments. (Much more research needs to be done to identify these men.)
Some of the men enlisted in regiments mustered in Albany, like the 44th New York. Others had moved out of the Albany by the time the War started, and enlisted in the towns and cities where they lived across the North.
They fought in almost every battle and naval action, from the first Battle of Bull Run, to the siege of Vicksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the clash of the Merrimack and the Monitor, and were there at the surrender at Appomattox Court House.
And those who returned formed Veteran’s organizations.*In Albany there were about 5 – my GGG Charles Zeilman, who fought at Little Round Top helped found the Lew Benedict Post. Quickly these individual posts banded together in a great association called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR).
And so the local chapters of the GAR across the country raised funds and lobbied governments for memorials to those who served and died. These monuments can be found in big cities and small towns all across the North.
Most were built in the latter part of the 19th century, but in the early part of the 1900s it became clear that the Vets were growing old and passing away. So there was a re-newed push for monuments to commemorate their heroic efforts. In Albany that began about 1906.
The New York State Legislature appropriated $100,000 and additional funds were raised. The original location selected was Capitol Park, but that changed. There was a competition to select the design; the commission was awarded to Hermon Hermon A. MacNeiland represents “The Nation of Peace Won Through Victorious War”.
The monument is 22 ft. high and 21 ft. wide; it’s built from Tennessee marble and granite from Stoney Creek.
The inscription reads:
“In commemoration of the men of Albany who gave their lives to save the Union, and in grateful recognition of all whose patriotism aided to giving to this nation under God a new birth of freedom, in making love of country a national virtue and endowing our land with peace and prosperity. “
A bronze figure represents the country. She holds palms of victory and peace, and a sheathed sword of war. Etched in marble behind her are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense. On the other side is a Civil War battery in action. One end shows a wounded drummer boy; the other a soldier returning to his wife and child. There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
The memorial was dedicated with a grand ceremony and parade in October, 1912.
Until the Great War (World War I) and the creation of Memorial Grove and the Gold Star Mothers Monument in the Grove, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was the focus of all Decoration (Memorial) Day activities.
*Sadly the Veterans posts mostly excluded African American soldiers who fought in the colored regiments. But in Saratoga County Billy Lattimore, (identified in the 1860 census as mulatto) fought with the 77th NY, and was an active member of the GAR for 50 years. (His grandfather Ben Lattimore Sr., a Revolutionary War soldier, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery. )
However, the GAR national organization did include a number of African American members and officers who fought in regular and colored regiments, including a number of men who were born enslaved in the South.
Here is ONE place to go to see sculpture of Hermon A. MacNeil & his students. Located in cities from east to west coast, found indoors and out, public and private, these creations point us toward the history and values that root Americans.
Daniel Neil Leininger ~ HAMacNeil@gmail.com
Hosting & Tech Support: Leiturgia Communications, Inc. WATCH US GROW
WE DESIRE YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS – Suggestions
1. Take digital photos of the work from all angles, including setting.
2. Take close up photos of details that you like
3. Look for MacNeil’s signature. Photograph it too! See examples above.
4. Please, include a photo of you & others beside the work.
5. Tell your story of adventure. It adds personal interest.
6. Send photos to ~ Webmaster at: HAMacNeil@gmail.com
However, that coin would come to be known by its Obverse design, namely, as the 
Purchasers of the MacNeil Medallion often share unique memories of the SLQ.
They lived in a brownstone on 142nd Street in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and set up a stone-carving atelier next to their home that would eventually occupy an entire city block.
