Eternal Peace Light Memorial.
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? July 3, 1938. Estimates put the crowd attendance at somewhere between 250,000 to 400,000, including 1,800 Civil War veterans. The youngest veteran present was 88 and the eldest was 112.
What is it made out of? Alabama limestone and bronze; Platform: crab orchard flagstone
What size is it? Overall: Approx. 40 x 42 x 85 ft.; Shaft: approx. H. 40 ft.; Relief: approx. H. 8 ft.; Platform: approx. L. 85 ft. x W. 42 ft.
Who made it? Cret, Paul Philippe, 1876-1945, architect. Lawrie, Lee Oskar, 1877-1963, sculptor. George A. Fuller Company, contractor.
What does it depict? This granite and Alabama limestone monument had its genesis during the 50th Anniversary Reunion at Gettysburg (1913) when Civil War veterans pledged to erect a monument to peace and reunification on the battlefield by the time of the 75th Anniversary in 1938. A tall square shaft rising from the center of a stone platform is topped by a bronze urn for an eternal flame. On the south face of the shaft is a relief symbolizing peace and good will as it now exists between the north and south of the nation. It features two embracing female figures holding a wreath while an eagle stands at their feet. The memorial was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret and the relief on the front was created by Lee Oskar Lawrie. The cost of the memorial was $50,000 which was raised through contributions by Civil War veterans from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, New York, and Indiana. The memorial was dedicated by Franklin Roosevelt during the Civil War veterans 75th anniversary reunion of the blue and gray on July 3, 1938. During the ceremony, a Union veteran and a Confederate veteran ignited the gas-fed eternal flame at the top of the shaft. The flame was extinguished during the energy crisis of the early 1970s, but was re-lit briefly during the bicentennial. In 1978, the flame was replaced with a sodium vapor light. In 2009, this monument was vandalized with spray paint. The monument consists of Alabama limestone. The main shaft stands 40′ in height and is the main feature on the first-day battlefield. The dark colored stone base is constructed of Maine granite and the lighter colored shaft of Alabama Rockwood Limestone.
How is it inscribed? PEACE ETERNAL IN A NATION UNITED
When was this photograph taken? August 18, 2008.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, Oak Hill, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325. Located on the North Side of the Mummasburg Road.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? Yes.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has not been moved or materially altered.
Monument Details, Alternative Views, and Contextual Views
Other Commemorative Monuments at Gettysburg
Cavalry Field Monument – GAR Monument – Gettysburg Address Monument – Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association – Gettysburg National Military Park – High Water Mark Monument – Masonic Monument – MOLLUS Monuments – Pardee Field Monument – Peace Light Monument – Soldiers National Monument – Soldiers and Sailors of the Confederacy – Womens Monument
