1805 – 1886
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is located on Delaware Avenue at the corner of 14th and Broom Streets in Wilmington. It was constructed using a column from the Old Pennsylvania Bank building located at 2nd and Lodge Streets in Philadelphia, PA which was demolished in 1868.
The monument was unveiled with much fanfare on May 30, 1871, and at that time was the only soldier’s monument in Delaware. The debt for the monument was never paid off and the Sheriff threatened to sell the monument to satisfy the debt. Eli Crozier, a newspaper owner of “We the People,” who was active in the obtaining and construction of the monument came to the rescue. Through his efforts, on May 29, 1880 the debt was paid off and the monument was turned over to the Soldiers’ Monument Association which was formed in 1869 and maintains it to this day.
The bronze eagle on the top of the monument was cast at the Pusey & Jones Company by Harry Lowe, a skilled moulder. The bronze was obtained from a cannon donated by the government.
