Pulaski Monument

(Photo taken before monument dismantled for restortion)

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Photograph by Ed Jackson 

 

 

The following article appeared in the July 10-16, 1998 issue of the Savannah Georgia Guardian and is reprinted with permission.

Pulaski Problems Persist: Monument Preservation Effort Requires More Money, New Statue

by Margarita Venegas

For some Monterey Square residents it's hard to remember what the Pulaski Monument that stood just outside their front doors looks like, much less the anticipation and excitement they had upon learning it would be restored.

About 10 Savannah residents showed up for a meeting July 7 presented by Dr. Don Gardner, director of the city's park and tree department, that explained the history of damage to the monument, how far along the project was and future plans for Pulaski and other local monuments.

"The Pulaski Monument was one of four monuments we identified when looking at the conservation of those with the most severe problems out of the 43 the city has," Gardner said.

The first monument the department looked at, the sphere in Troup Square, was restored with few problems. The second, the Beacon Range in Morrell Park received one-half of the funds needed for restoration from the city, but the project cannot begin until the CSX Corp. gives the department the other half of the funds, which it has already pledged to do.

When reviewing the deterioration on the Pulaski Monument, Gardner's staff noticed numerous cracks in the surface, but could not make a full assessment of the cost until it was brought down and looked at piece by piece. The original estimate was just under $200,000, and since the city had already given that amount for the Beacon Range, Gardner borrowed the money with the purpose of replacing it once the Pulaski restoration was finished.

However, no one counted on the damage that was to be found, damage so great that the statue of Lady Liberty that sits atop the monument and the ornate capital just under her feet will have to be replaced with replicas. The originals will remain in the Savannah History Museum, Gardner said.

"Over a three-year period, about 70 pounds of marble were lost from the top of the monument because when the capital was carved the sculptors had to exaggerate the leaves and scrolls in order for the work to still have an impact and be seen from the ground level," Gardner said. "This made it very delicate. The problem is they pushed the stone further than it could take."

Not only will creating a replacement statue take more money than originally planned, but once Gardner and his staff began to take the monument down, the cost of restoration rose considerably. There were five issues that they had to deal with in taking it apart, which will also affect how it is pieced back together.

The first issue the department faced was that the Carrara marble that the monument was made of was not the finest quality, therefore it had both coarse and fine grains, which meant pollution, rain and other elements could easily lodge in the stone over time.

The stone was also stressed because when it was carved with a hammer the shock vibrations weakened it as time passed and some of the blocks were at angles, which defied their normal bedding plane. This meant, for example, that a stone with a horizontal structure might have been placed vertical, leading to unnatural weight distribution and fissures when another stone was placed on top.

Perhaps the most disturbing revelation was when the department found that the column blocks and the foundation of the monument were not solid in the middle, so as to distribute weight evenly, but hollow and precariously perched.

"This was stacked like a house of cards," Gardner said. If the monument had been left standing, it would have eventually fallen as the elements continued to deteriorate the condition. Currently, the monument and the original iron fence surrounding it are being repaired at the Roundhouse and a private studio, but about $500,000 more is needed to complete the project and return money to the Beacon Range fund.

Monterey Square residents at the meeting announced they hope to present this issue to the Savannah City Council July 16 in an attempt to receive city funds. Tepid public and political support has meant that funding the Pulaski restoration has fallen low on the list of city priorities, however residents believe some money should be taken from tourism profits to repair the monument since one of the attractions for tourists is the historic squares.

Even if the money to finish the project was available within the month, it would take until March 1998 to complete restoration, Gardner said. However, once the project is finished, he hopes the city will be able to make better plans for future restoration. "We are trying to set up an endowment fund to take care of future expenses," Gardner said.

Erection of the Pulaski Monument

The cornerstone of the Pulaski Monument was placed in ceremonies on the afternoon of Oct. 11, 1853. Present for the occasion were Savannah militia units, local Masonic lodges, and a large number of citizens. Henry Williams delivered the main address, after which William Bowen read the following tribute to Pulaski:

"This parchment is to record the laying of the corner-stone of a Monument in the centre of Monterey Square, at the junction of Bull and Wayne streets, (City of Savannah) to the memory of Brigadier-General County Pulaski, who fell mortally wounded by a swivel shot while on a charge at the head of a body of cavalry before the British lines, at the Siege of Savannah, on the ninth day of October, seventeen hundred and seventy-nine.

"Count Casimir Pulaski was born in the province of Lithuania, Poland, in the year seventeen hundred and forty-six. Arrived in the United States in the year seventeen hundred and seventy-seven (1777), and volunteered his service to the American Government in the great and glorious cause of Liberty and Freedom from British tyranny -- received a commission from the Government as Brigadier-General of Cavalry, and fought gallantly in the battles of this country at Brandwine, Germantown, Trenton, Charleston, and Savannah. Aged 33.

"Robert E. Launitz, of New-York, Designer. M. Lufburrow and E. Jones, builders of the foundation.

"Robert D. Walker, sculptor of the corner-stone.

(Signed)

"Richard D. Arnold, Chairman of Commissioners.

"Wm. Robertsons, by Geo. Robertson, Jun., Treasurer.

"Wm. P. Bowen, Sen., Secretary and Commissioner."

 

Time Capsule

Savannah citizens contributed a number of items to be placed in a copper box placed in the corner stone. Although no date for the box's opening was set, this may have been the first time capsule in Georgia history. According to historian George White, the contents of the copper box consisted of:

"Roll of the officers of the Independent Volunteer Battalion of Savannah, together with rolls of the several volunteer corps composing said battalion.

"Statement of the Marine and Fire Insurance Bank. Last report and list of stockholders, together with notes of the denominations one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred.

"Statement of the Bank of the State of Georgia, with notes of five and ten dollars.

"Bills of the Planters' Bank, of the denominations of five and ten.

"Bills of the Central Railroad and Banking Company, of the denominations of one, two, five, and ten.

"Statement of the Bank of Savannah, also notes of the denominations of five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred dollars.

"Names of the Officers of the Governments of the United States and of the State of Georgia.

"Engraved likenesses of Generals George Washington, Benjamin Lincoln, and of Robert Morris, Esq.; presented by I.K. Tefft.

"Medal representing a view of the city of Bremen, with a statue of Rolandi, dated 1540; also, medallions of Benjamin Franklin and Henry Clay; presented by A. Oemler.

"Medallion representing the Crystal Palace of New-York; presented by W.A. Richmond.

"Hungarian Bond; presented by Hinko Naklen Kazel.

"A piece of the oak tree from Sunbury, Liberty County, Georgia, under which General James Oglethorpe opened the first Lodge of Free Masons in Georgia; also under which, in 1779, the charter of the Union Society was preserved, and Mr. Mordecai Sheftall, Sen., then a prisoner of war, elected President; presented by Mrs. Perla Sheftall Solomons.

"Copies of the Savannah Republican, of October 1, 1853, giving an account of the exhumation of the corner-stone laid by General La Fayette in 1825; also of the 11th of October, 1853.

"Copies of the Savannah Daily Morning News, of the 4th, 6th, and 11th of October, 1853.

"Copies of the Savannah Georgian, established in 1817.

"Past Master's Masonic Jewel, dated 1710; presented by S.P. Bell, Esq.

"A silver dollar, found among the bones of soldiers who fell at the siege of Savannah, dated 1778; presented by Barnard Constantine, Esq.

"A badge, medals, and copper coin; presented by Mrs. David Thompson.

"Two Roman coins of the days of Constantine, Emperor of Rome; presented by Benjamin Arnold.

"Gold, silver, and copper coin; presented by A. Oemler, N. Wolf, J.N. Prentiss, C.F. Preston, P.G. Thomas, R.W. Pooler, T. Holcombe and F.J. Rosenberg.

"Three German coins, dated 1623, 1624, and 1632, presented by Paul Haller.

"French Masonic Lodge Jewel; presented by William Hone.

"A silver dollar, dated 1727; presented by A. Bonand.

"One cent, dated 1793; presented by J.H. Damon.

"Two silver medals; presented by John J.W. Buntz and George J. J. Buntz.

"Continental notes, by Mrs. David Thompson; and rare coin, by R.R. Scott, Esq.

"Directory and Census of the City of Savannah for the year 1853; presented by David H. Galloway, Esq.

"Officers and assistants of the Savannah Post-office.

"Constitution, by-laws, list of officers and members of Zerubbabel Lodge, No. 15.

"Records of the Georgia Chapter, No. 3.

"Records of Clinton Lodge, No. 54 -- list of officers and members; and a silver compass.

"Records of Solomon's Lodge for the year 1853, with by-laws, &c."

Letter by Pulaski Monument Designer

Robert Launitz, designer of the Pulaski Monument, provided details of the monument in a letter to the Pulaski Monument Commission:

"Gentlemen: -- I herewith have the honour to submit, according to your proposals, a design for a monument to the memory of Count Pulaski, consisting of an elevation and perspective view. In designing the Monument, I have had particular regard to purity of style, richness of effect, and strength and durability in material and execution; while I have not lost sight of the main object, which is to design a Monument for Pulaski.

"It is perceived at the first glance that the monument is intended for a soldier, who is losing his life fighting. Wounded, he falls from his horse, while still grasping his sword. The date of the event is recorded above the subject. The coat of arms of Poland and Georgia, surrounded by branches of laurel, ornament the cornice of two sides, or fronts; they stand united together; while the eagle, emblem of liberty, independence, and courage, rests on both, bidding proud defiance -- the eagle being the symbolic bird of both Poland and America. The allegory will need no further explanation. The cannon reversed on the corners of the die, are emblematical of military loss and mourning, while they give the monument a strong military character.

"To facilitate the execution of the shaft, which it would be impossible to execute in one piece, I have divided the same into several parts, separated by bands, so as to remove the unsightliness of horizontal joints on a plain surface. The bands are alternately ornamental with stars, emblems of the States and Territories, now and in embryo, which enjoy and will enjoy the fruits of the valor and patriotism of the heroes of the Revolution. The garlands on the alternate bands above the stars denote that they (the States) are young and flourishing. The shaft is surmounted by a highly elaborate cap, which adds richness, loftiness, and grandeur to the structure. The monument is surmounted by a state of Liberty, holding the banner of the 'stars and stripes.' The love of liberty brought Pulaski to America; for love of liberty, he fought; and for liberty he lost his life; -- and thus I thought that Liberty should crown his monument, and share with him the crown of victory. The garlands surrounding the column show that Liberty now is a young and blooming maiden, surrounded with fragrant flowers.

"The monument is designed to be fifty-five feet high, which, for a square in a city, is of ample height. The two steps and lower plinth to be of granite; and all the rest, of the finest Italian marble, in solid blocks weighing from one to six tons, and to be executed in the most artistical and workmanlike manner; to rest on a solid foundation six feet deep, or more, if the soil requires it. The first step to be the twelve pieces, the second step in eight pieces, as also the plith, of best hammered granite. The base-block in four pieces, the base moulding in two pieces. the die with the cannon in four pieces, jointed at the sides; each front will weigh five tons. the cornice in two pieces; the base-block of shaft, as well as every section of the shaft, each in one solid piece; the cap of shaft in two pieces; the statue and columns each part in one piece. All the parts that are composed of more than one piece to be cramped with dovetail keys of metal. The monument to be delivered and erected in Savannah in two years, say on or before the 1st of July, 1854. [The statue was completed in Dec. 1853.] The cost of the whole, as above specified, to be seventeen thousand dollars."

Source: George White, Historical Collections of Georgia (New York: Pudney & Russell, 1855), pp. 308-312.

 

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

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