Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial

Infobox_nrhp | name = Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial
nrhp_type =

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imagesize = 250px
caption = Front view of the memorial and its lawn from Fifth Avenue
location= Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
area =
built = 1908-1910
architect= Henry Hornbostel
architecture= Beaux-Arts
added = December 30, 1974
governing_body = Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum Trust Inc. [ [http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010813soldiersandsailors0813p4.asp Soldiers & Sailors hall winning war on neglect ] ]
refnum=74001746 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2006-03-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial is a National Register of Historic Places landmark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest memorial in the United States dedicated solely to honoring all branches of military veterans and service personnel.

It was conceived by the Grand Army of the Republic in the 1890s as a way for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to honor the dwindling ranks of its American Civil War veterans. The Memorial today represents all branches of the service and honors both career and citizen soldiers who have served the United States throughout its history.

Architect Henry Hornbostel designed the memorial in 1907. Dedicated in 1910, the building is in the Beaux-Arts style and is heroic in scale. It is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh at 4141 Fifth Avenue (although the walkway leading to its main entrance is signed as "Matthew Ridgway Blvd." in honor of the WWII and Korean Conflict hero who called Pittsburgh home) and adjacent to the University of Pittsburgh campus and its Cathedral of Learning. The building is set back from Fifth Avenue, featuring expansive and well-kept lawns dotted with large cannons and other war implements. Side streets flanking the building are Bigelow Boulevard and University Place; directly behind is O'Hara Street.

The Memorial houses a rare and one-of-a-kind exhibits that span the eras from the Civil War to the present day conflcts. Since 1963 it has operated the "Hall of Valor" to honor individual veterans from the region who went above and beyond the call of duty. Today the hall has over 600 honorees among them are Medal of Honor, The Kearny Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross winners.

The building houses an auditorium seating 2,500, a banquet hall, and meeting rooms, in addition to its museum.

Fictional Portrayals

*Silence of the Lambs had the hall fill in for the "Memphis Courthouse" scenes, including the escape scene. All were filmed completely at Soldiers & Sailors.

Gallery

References

*cite book | author=Kidney, Walter C. | title=Henry Hornbostel: An Architect's Master Touch| location=Pittsburgh | publisher=Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation & Roberts Rinehart Publishers | year=2002 | id=ISBN 1-57098-398-4
*cite book | author=Toker, Franklin | title=Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press | year=1986, 1994 | id=ISBN 0-8229-5434-6

External links

* [http://www.soldiersandsailorshall.org/ SolidersandSailorsHall.org official site]
* [http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/oakland/oak_n720.html Carnegie Library's page on the memorial]
* [http://www.arch.state.pa.us/pdfs/H001780_01B.pdf NRHP nomination form]
* [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/text-idx?idno=00aee8266m;view=toc;c=pitttext Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the war for the suppression of the rebellion, 1861-1865 : roll of honor, defenders of the flag, attack on Fort Sumter, S.C., April 12, 1861, surrender at Appomattox, Va., April 9, 1865] Lists the names of Civil war solders from Allegheny County

Video
[http://www.wqed.org/ondemand/onq.php?cat=6&id=75 WQED onQ: Soldiers and Sailors Hall]