Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial
Introduction
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Images
The Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial view from north side of the monument facing south
The bronze figures of the Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial, sculpted by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
The Memorial in 1925
The Memorial in 1950
The original document submitted to New York City to approve the installation of the monument
The application image for the monument, taken in November 1921
The designer of the sculpture, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, standing with the casting in early 1922.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Washington Heights - Inwood War Memorial was commissioned by the Washington Heights and Inwood Memorial Association to commemorate the 357 casualties of World War I who lived in the neighborhood.1 Featured prominently within Mitchel Square Park, the park is named after John Purroy Mitchel who died during a training accident of the United States Army Air Service.
The monument consists of a granite pedestal, designed by architectural firm Delano and Aldrich, and a bronze sculpture of three combat soldiers designed by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The memorial sculpture was first approved by New York City on November 14, 1921 for dedication on the following memorial day on May 30, 1922. The memorial was a gift to the city of New York, funding was provided by the Washington Heights and Inwood Memorial Association as referenced in the application for installation submitted in 1921.3
At the base of the memorial, the dedication inscription reads "ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON HEIGHTS AND INWOOD IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR." Directly surrounding the bronze figures are 20 plaques, of which all names of the missing and killed soldiers of World War One who lived in the New York City communities of Washington Heights and Inwood. The monument has been on permanent display since its dedication in 1922 with the exception of a restoration in 1998 that replaced a missing bayonet.4
Sources
1. “Mitchel Square.” Mitchel Square Monuments - Washington Heights-Inwood War Memorial : NYC Parks, NYC Parks, www.nycgovparks.org/parks/mitchel-square/monuments/1652.
2. Ibid.
3. Washington Heights and Inwood Memorial Association. “Work of Art Comission.” NYC Archives Database, NYC Design Archives, 16 Mar. 2017, nycdesignarchive.tumblr.com/post/158475921315/washington-heights-and-inwood-war-memorial-in.
4. “Mitchel Square.” Mitchel Square Monuments - Washington Heights-Inwood War Memorial : NYC Parks, NYC Parks, www.nycgovparks.org/parks/mitchel-square/monuments/1652.
Stephen Benvenuto (November 2, 2017)
Stephen Benvenuto (November 2, 2017)