Moving Monuments of Union Generals to Eakins Oval
It seems like it might be a good time to take another look at the Monument idea that Dr. Tracy Steen and I proposed in 2012.
We suggested that Philadelphia move its neglected monuments of four Union generals to Eakins Oval, at the top of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Pictured monuments (from left): Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, Major General George B. McClellan, Major General John F. Reynolds, and Major General George G. Meade.
None of the four monuments receives sufficient attention or respect in its current location.
Our plan would honor the generals, Philadelphia, and the Union by uniting the monuments and positioning them in the heart of Philadelphia’s art and cultural district on the vacant portions of Eakins Oval.
Click here for a PDF of the proposal we submitted to Philadelphia Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis and PennPraxis in response to their request for ideas about how to improve Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The four sculptures complement the design and history of the Parkway and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On Eakins Oval each general could be featured prominently, free of clutter and distraction. The addition of the monuments on Eakins Oval would also encourage foot traffic between the Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, and the Barnes Collection.
United, the collection of monuments would surely become a treasured destination.
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