Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location	Put-in-Bay, Ohio, USA
Nearest city	Sandusky, Ohio
Coordinates	41°39′15″N 82°48′41″W
Area	25.38 acres (10.27 ha) 24.97 acres (10.11 ha) federal
Established	June 2, 1936
Visitors	155,689 (in 2005)
Governing body	National Park Service

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie, near Ohio's South Bass Island, in which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most significant naval battles to occur in the War of 1812. The memorial also celebrates the lasting peace between Britain, Canada, and the United States that followed the war.^{[citation needed]}

Overview

The Memorial Column

A 352 foot (107 m) monument — the world's most massive Doric column — was constructed in Put-in-Bay, Ohio by a multi-state commission from 1912 to 1915 "to inculcate the lessons of international peace by arbitration and disarmament." Beneath the stone floor of the monument lie the remains of three American officers and three British officers. It is among the tallest monuments in the United States (the Gateway Arch, San Jacinto Monument, and the Washington Monument are taller). Although substantially completed in 1915, funding problems prevented the proper completion of a fully realized memorial complex. In 1919 the federal government assumed control of the monument and provided additional funding. The official dedication was celebrated on July 31, 1931. In 2002, 2.4 million dollars was spent on a new visitor center. The memorial is visited by 200,000 people each year.

Administrative history

Established as Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial National Monument by Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 2, 1936 (Proclamation No. 2182); redesignated a National Memorial and renamed on October 26, 1972. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Structural concerns

The column

The Memorial had been closed for most of the summer of 2006 after a 500 pound (230 kg) piece of granite broke off the southeast face of the observation deck, falling 315 feet (96 m) and leaving a crater in the plaza in June. No one was injured. Following a structural assessment that deemed it safe for visitors, the memorial reopened on August 26, 2006, with a fence surrounding it. A comprehensive study is planned and the results will be used to determine what repairs are necessary and how much the work will cost.

As of July 2008, park rangers have been telling visitors that the site will close for up to 3 years for renovation. This will be in 3 phases, with the observation deck first, then the column, then the entrance and rotunda receiving attention. The monument will close on September 30, 2009 for 2 years. The repairs to the observation deck are estimated at $7,000,000.

Other Navy memorials

• United States Navy Memorial#Other Navy memorials

References

• The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Toledo Blade: "Perry memorial to reopen"
• Toledo Blade: "Monument shut after granite falls"
• Toldeo Blade: "Monument remains shut pending study"
• Toledo Blade: "Time chips away at Perry memorial"

Further reading

• Downloadable resources regarding Oliver Hazard Perry, including orations at the opening of the Put-in-Bay monument, American Library Association.

External links

• National Park Service: Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
• Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial Passport Stamp