Princeton Battle Monument
| Princeton Battle Monument | |
|---|---|
| State of New Jersey | |
 |
|
| For The Battle of Princeton, 3 January 1777 | |
| Unveiled | 1922 |
| Location | Princeton, New Jersey |
| Designed by | Frederick MacMonnies, Thomas Hastings |
|
Here memory lingers to recall the guiding mind whose daring plan outflanked the foe and turned dismay to hope when Washington, with swift resolve, marched through the night to fight at dawn and venture all in one victorious battle for our freedom.
|
|
|
Princeton Battle Monument
|
|
 
|
|
| Coordinates | 40°20′52.1″N 74°39′57.1″W / 40.347806°N 74.665861°WCoordinates: 40°20′52.1″N 74°39′57.1″W / 40.347806°N 74.665861°W |
| Part of | Princeton Historic District (#75001143) |
| Added to NRHP | 27 June 1975 |
The Princeton Battle Monument is located in Princeton, New Jersey, adjacent to Morven and Princeton's borough hall. The Monument commemorates the January 3, 1777 Battle of Princeton, and depicts General George Washington leading his troops to victory and the death of General Hugh Mercer. It stands 50 feet (15 m) tall and was inspired by carvings on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Designed to visually anchor the western end of Nassau Street, the monument and its park are a legacy of the City Beautiful movement.
An act of Congress in June 8, 1906 appropriated $30,000 to be given to the Princeton Battle Monument Association for the erection of a monument commemorating the Battle of Princeton. The association, which dated back to 1887 and included such local notables as Allan Marquand and Moses Taylor Pyne, was required to match the $30,000 with an equal sum raised independently. On February 24, 1908, having raised the requisite funds, the association commissioned prominent Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick MacMonnies to build the monument. The architectural design was done by Thomas Hastings of acclaimed firm Carrère and Hastings.
It was difficult to find an appropriate location for the monument and it was first planned for the piece of land at the corner of Mercer and Nassau Streets. That triangular plot was cleared of buildings in 1913, but ultimately used for the Princeton War Memorial. In 1914, a piece of property was donated by the Princeton Inn Company. The Inn, which stood on the current location of the Princeton Borough Hall, donated a 500 feet (150 m) stretch of land between Bayard Lane and Morven, from Stockton Street north to the row of chestnut trees in front of the inn. This property provided not only enough space for the monument and a park, but also a highly visible location where the monument could stand at the end of a long vista from Nassau Street.
...
Wikipedia