PARK AND CEMETERY. 
r 95 
THE LOVEJOY MONUMENT AT ALTON, ILLINOIS. 
The Lovejoy monument at Alton, Illinois, il- 
lustrated herewith, was erected by the State of Illi- 
nois and the City of Alton jointly, by an Act of the 
Legislature of the winter of 1894-95. The sum of 
$25,000 was appropriated by the State to be used 
in the construction and expended under the direc- 
tion of the Lovejoy Monument Association, organ- 
ized to erect a 
suitable memorial 
to Elijah Parish 
Lovejoy, the abo- 
litionist. To this 
appropriation the 
City of Alton add- 
ed $5,000. Un- 
der the direction 
and supervision of 
the Monument 
Association, a 
contract was made 
with Robert P. 
Bringhurst, sculp- 
tor, of St. Louis, 
for a suitable de- 
sign. He asso- 
ciated with him 
Louis Mulgardt, 
architect, who ar- 
ranged the archi- 
tectural details, 
Mr. Bringhurst ' 
himself taking 
care of the artistic 
features and a gen- 
eral supervision 
of the whole. The 
contract was awar- 
ded to the Culver 
Stone Company of 
Springfield, 111 ., on 
May 23, 1896, for 
$25,300. '1 he site 
of the monument 
is on the blufts in 
Upper Alton, one 
of the most com- 
manding sites for 
such a structure that could be found. The monu- 
ment itself is a massive granite column 90 feet high, 
surmounted by a bronze statue of Victory 17 feet 
high, weighing 8,700 pounds. This shaft, in three 
pieces, weighing respectively 16, 18, and 22 tons 
each, is one of the largest columns in this country. 
The base consists of a round plinth, square cap, die 
and base in the form of a seat. It stands in the 
THE LOVEJOY MONUMENT, ALTON, ILL. 
center of a tei race 40 feet in diameter, surrounded 
on three sides by a granite exedra wall 8 feet deep 
on outside, having a seat on the inside. The ter- 
race is floored with 6-inch granite flagging and is 
reached by seven granite steps. Two large granite 
pedestals, surmounted by ornate standard bronze 
tripods, finish the exedra walls. By the steps are 
two granite sentinel columns 30 feet high, surmount- 
ed by bronze ea- 
gles 8 feet over the 
wings. A large 
bronze shield is 
set on all four 
sides of the die: 
a medallion of 
Elijah P. Lovejoy, 
with autograph, in 
front; on the rear 
a facsimile of the 
old Franklin press 
in the office of the 
Observer at the 
time of his death, 
with the inscrip- 
tion "The Obser- 
ver Press:” The 
inscription “I have 
sworn eternal op- 
position to slavery 
and by the blessing 
of God I iv ill never 
go back," occupies 
one side panel, 
and on the other 
is: “But, gentle- 
men, as long as I 
am an American 
citizen and as long 
as American blood 
runs in these veins 
I shall hold myself 
at liberty to speak, 
to write, to pub- 
lish, whatever I 
please on any sub- 
ject, being amen- 
able to the lazvs of 
my country for the 
same." One tripod pedestal bears the following: 
‘ ‘ Erected by the State of Illinois , and Citizens of Alton, 
1896-18 97-,’’ on the other: “ Dedicated , in gratitude 
to God and in the love of liberty, June, 1897. The 
name Lovejoy is placed in the back of the seat on 
the inside of exedra in granite letters about 15 
inches high. With the exception of the bronze the 
monument is built entirely of light Barre granite. 
