Soldiers' Memorial

The Soldiers' Memorial in downtown St. Louis is a memorial and military museum, at 1315 Chestnut Street, operated by the St. Louis Board of Public Service. Interior east and west wings contain display cases with military displays and memorabilia from World War I and subsequent American wars.

The building was designed by St. Louis architectural firm Mauran, Russell & Crowell in a stripped Classical style, with a severely simplified form and limited ornament. It was dedicated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936 and officially opened to the public on Memorial Day, 1938. Admission is free, and the museum's hours are 9 am through 4:30 pm daily.

Four monumental sculptural groups representing figures of "Loyalty", "Vision", "Courage" and "Sacrifice" by sculptor Walker Hancock stand, with their horses, on the north and south sides of the building. Other architectural sculpture here was completed by Hillis Arnold.

External Links

* [http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1446 St. Louis history site]
* [http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/hancoc77.htm Oral history interview with Walker Hancock] at Smithsonian Archives of American Art