Monumental Indy 2005
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All images © 2005 by Robert E. PenceReturn to Indianapolis Index In the center of Monument Circle stands the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, completed in 1902. It was
designed by Bruno Schmitz, Germany's foremost architect of national monuments and built of Indiana Oolitic
Limestone, and most of the carvings and bronze work were designed and executed in Germany. The 284-foot,
6-inch tall monument honors Indiana's heroes who died in wars before World War I.
Drooling Bison
"The Columbia Club of Indianapolis – A distinguished tradition since 1889"
The oldest building on the circle, Episcopal Christ Church Cathedral was built in 1857. The congregation wasfounded in 1837.
A tiny elevator, followed by a few flights of narrow, steep iron steps, takes visitors to a glass-enclosedobservation deck at the 230-foot level of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The windows are washed twice
a year and pigeons poop 24/7/365, so getting good photos is a matter of timing.
The Federal Courthouse features vaulted mosaic ceilings and brass chandeliers. It also features a prominentlyposted sign in the entry foyer announcing that all devices capable of recording a photographic image are
prohibited in the building.
Focal point of the War Memorial Plaza is the Indiana War Memorial, begun in 1925 and under construction formany years. It stands on a raised platform and is 210 feet tall.
Pro Patria, a 24-foot bronze sculpture, was designed by Henry Hering and installed in 1929. At the time of itsinstallation, it was the largest bronze sculpture ever cast in America.
In addition to the 500-seat Patton Auditorium, the building houses two 75-seat meeting rooms. All areavailable for public use.
The first time I saw the towering shrine room in the middle of the memorial, I was on an eighth-grade class tripfrom Poplar Grove School, near Bluffton. The entry is via a long stairway lined with lists of WWI veterans, and
there's a turn near the top so that you don't get a glimpse of the room until you walk into it. It rendered me
speechless, quite a feat when you're dealing with a 13-year-old. I still feel the same awe when I visit it. The room contains materials from all over the world, symbolic of World Peace that people thought had been
won with the bloody, drawn-out slaughter of World War I. In alcoves around the perimeter are portraits of Allied
leaders.
General Pershing
Lower levels of the building house museum exhibits commemorating those who served in all American warsup through Viet Nam.
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