The Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch is a triumphal arch at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Designed by John Hemenway Duncan and built from 1889 to 1892, the arch commemorates American Civil War Union veterans. The monument is made of granite and measures 80 feet (24 m) tall, with an archway opening measuring 50 feet (15 m) tall and 35 feet (11 m) wide. The arch also includes spandrels by Philip Martiny, equestrian bas-reliefs by Thomas Eakins and William Rudolf O'Donovan, and three sculptural groups by Frederick MacMonnies. It is one of New York City's three major triumphal arches. The lowest portion of the arch is made of darker granite from Quincy, Massachusetts, above which is lighter-colored granite. There are four pedestals, two each facing north and south; the northern pedestals are empty, while the southern pedestals contain sculptural groups by MacMonnies, depicting the United States Army and United States Navy. The bas-reliefs within the archway opening depict Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant on horseback, and the archway opening has a coffered ceiling. The spandrels above the arch contain representations of victory, as well as the seals of New York state and Brooklyn. On the roof is an observation deck and a quadriga, also designed by MacMonnies. Inside are stairways to the observation deck, as well as a room just beneath the roof. After the Civil War, the then-independent city of Brooklyn planned a grand memorial to Union Army soldiers, though no major monument was built for two decades. The arch was proposed in 1888, and Duncan was selected as the arch's designer following an architectural design competition. The cornerstone of the arch was laid on October 30, 1889, and the arch was dedicated on October 21, 1892. Additional art was installed over the following decade. The arch was used for various events during the 20th century and was designated as a New York City landmark in 1973. The arch and its sculptures have been renovated several times over the years, including in 1980 and 2023–2025.
Description The Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch is at the southern end of Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., just north of the entrance to Prospect Park. Designed by John H. Duncan and completed in 1892, the arch was built as an American Civil War memorial. It is one of New York City's three major triumphal arches, along with the Washington Square Arch and the Manhattan Bridge Arch and Colonnade. As built, the arch was surrounded by granite posts connected by a bronze chain. Including abutments on either side of the archway opening, the arch measures 80 feet (24 m) tall, with a footprint of 80 by 50 feet (24 by 15 m). The interior of the arched opening is 50 feet tall and 35 feet (11 m) wide. At the top of the arch, the abutments narrow in thickness from 50 feet to 25 feet (7.6 m). When the arch was completed, the top of the arch was around 225 feet (69 m) above sea level. Visitors originally could see as far as Long Island to the east, the Palisades to the north, the Atlantic Ocean and Atlantic Highlands to the south, and the Orange Mountains to the west.
Design
Exterior At the base of either of the arch's abutments is a 3-foot-high (0.91 m) course of darker granite from Quincy, Massachusetts, above which is lighter-colored granite. There are four pedestals, two each facing north and south; these were intended to support groups of statues, although only the southern pedestals have statuary. Each pedestal has engaged columns, topped by capitals in the Composite order. The capitals contain motifs such as ships' bows, eagles, and the fruits of the land and sea. Between each set of columns, there are medallions depicting the insignia of various Army and Navy corps. The exteriors of the arch's base contain the seals of various military companies and regiments based in Brooklyn. The archway opening's keystones reportedly weigh 9 short tons (8.0 long tons; 8.2 t) and depict the Great Seal of the United States.
The underside of the arched opening has a coffered ceiling, and there are rosettes at the center of each coffer. The interior walls of the archway opening have equestrian bas-reliefs of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. The reliefs bear the dates 1893–1894, even though they were installed in 1895. Thomas Eakins designed the horses for each relief, and William Rudolf O'Donovan designed the riders. The Lincoln relief is the only artwork in a New York City park where Lincoln is depicted on horseback, as well as one of two artworks of Lincoln on horseback that are known to exist. Beneath each equestrian relief, there are doorways in the abutments, which lead to the staircases. Philip Martiny designed the spandrels on the structure's north and south facades, at the upper corners of the archway opening. Each spandrel reportedly weighs 14 short tons (13 long tons; 13 t). The spandrels on the structure's north facade contain the seals of the state of New York and the then-independent city of Brooklyn, while the spandrels to the south depict female representations of victory. On the attic, along the arch's southern facade, is an inscription reading, "To the Defenders of the Union, 1861–1865"; this is the only inscription on the monument. The monument's attic includes panels with disks surrounded by wreaths. The names of battles were supposed to have been inscribed into the panels. The structure's parapet was to have globes with eagles resting above them, but the arch was instead built with a plain parapet.
Interior The arch has two spiral stairways, one inside each abutment. One staircase was originally used by visitors traveling to the roof, while the other was used by visitors descending to ground level. The stairs have been variously cited as containing 103, 107, 108, or 116 steps. Each of the stairs is made of iron and is illuminated by LEDs underneath. In addition, there is a room within the monument's attic, above the archway opening, for a war museum or trophy room. The room, measuring 44 feet (13 m) long, was originally decorated with marble wainscoting and mosaic panels, and there were ceiling vaults with ornamentation honoring Civil War soldiers. Three glass-domed skylights illuminated the room. By the late 20th century, the room was an art exhibition space with little decoration.
Sculptures
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