INDIANAPOLIS – The famous structure sitting at the heart of Monument Circle was named a national landmark Wednesday, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel.
The nomination of the monument recognizes world-class civic designs that have shaped the image of Indianapolis.
Built of Indiana limestone, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was the product of an international design competition in held 1887. The Board of Monument Commissioners selected Bruno Schmitz, a well-known monument designer in Germany to craft the 287.5-foot monument.
Officials at the NPS noted there were several reasons the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was chosen, including it being the largest of more than 200 Civil War memorials in the U.S.
In addition, it is the only monument that combines large-scale sculpture in bronze and stone. NPS officials believe the monument set the trend for civic architecture in Indianapolis, which led to the construction of the Indiana World War Memorial and its plaza in the 1920s.
The West Union Covered Bridge in Parke County was also added to the list.
