Monument City » Religion

Peace Cross Memorial (Baltimore, MD)

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:26:14 +0000

Location

N Charles Street & University Parkway (Street View)

GPS: 39° 19′ 59.89″ N 76° 37′ 2.64″ W

History

Dedicated on May 18, 1920, this magnificent Celtic-style cross stands on the grounds of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, just north of Hopkins Homewood Campus. The monument, also known as Victory Cross, is dedicated to the memory of lives lost in WWI. Across the street is the Confederate Women’s monument.

Notes

The monument is hidden from immediate view by some trees and resides in an area named Clover Hill, according to a Maryland Historical Society plaque found nearby. Around 1714, this region was part of a 210-acre grant by Lord Baltimore to Charles Merryman, whose descendents lived and farmed here until 1869. In 1909, the site was purchased by the Episcopal Church.

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Links

On Panoramio & Flickr

Martin Luther Monument (Baltimore, MD)

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:48:10 +0000

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Location

Hillen Road & E 32nd Street (Street View)

GPS: 39° 19′ 39.52″ N 76° 35′ 19.59″ W

History

Unveiled on October 31, 1936, the Martin Luther Monument is the work of Baltimore’s Hans Schuler. After studying under William Henry Rinehart, Schuler traveled to France with fellow artists Edward Berge and J Maxwell Miller to continue his studies. In 1901, he won the Salon Gold Medal in Paris, the first American to do so. One of the city’s premiere sculptors, Schuler was director of the Maryland Institute College of Art from 1935 to 1951, resigning a year before his death.

A gift of a prominent local jeweler, Arthur Wallenhorst, the 18-foot tall statue of Luther once greeted visitors at the Mount Royal entrance to Druid Hill Park. In 1959 it was moved to it’s current spot over-looking Lake Montebello. A second statue of the German protestant, also by Schuler, was erected in 1947 at the The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Notes

Situated in a small park slightly south of the lake, Martin Luther’s likeness gestures sternly with right hand raised. Two benches once flanked the statue, but only their supports remain. Baltimore’s Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation, or CHAP, has been maintaining the monument since 1980.

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James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial (Baltimore, MD)

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:19:06 +0000

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Location

W Mulberry Street and Cathedral Street (Street View)

GPS: 39° 17′ 39.60″ N 76° 36′ 58.20″ W

History

Dedicated Dec. 17, 1967, this monument depicts Cardinal James Gibbons (1834-1921), Archbishop of Baltimore. Sculptors: Harold Schaller and Betti Richard. Gibbons served as a chaplain at Fort McHenry during the Civil War. Gibbons was the second American to be elevated to the office of cardinal. Notable for his support of the labor movement. There’s another monument dedicated to him in Washington, DC.

Notes

The monument is located within the gate at the Baltimore Basilica, in the southwest corner, diagonally across the property from the papal prayer garden. Gate is open during the day, with a ramp and staircase. The monument’s inscription describes him as an “exemplary citizen” and “friend of humanity.” Enoch Pratt Free Library faces Gibbons across Cathedral Street.
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Links

Smithsonian entry for this sculpture
On Panoramio & Flickr

Pope John Paul II Monument & Prayer Garden (Baltimore, MD)

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 03:32:36 +0000

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Location

W Franklin Street and N Charles Street (Street View)

GPS: 39° 17′ 42.19″ N 76° 36′ 56.38″ W

History

Commemorates Pope John Paul II’s 1995 visit to Charm City. The trip came at the invitation of William Keeler, who was elevated to Cardinal by the pontiff. The sculpture is based on a photo of the Pope arriving in Baltimore, embracing two Baltimore children. The prayer garden is also dedicated to religious freedom and ecumenism. Artist: Joseph Sheppard; garden designed by Scott Rykeil. Once the site of the historic Rochambeau apartments which were demolished to create this contemplative space. Ground-breaking ceremony held April 11, 2008.

Notes

Located in the prayer garden at the north-eastern corner of the Basilica of the Assumption, also known as the Baltimore Basilica. Across the street is the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, which bears a uniquely beautiful facade of its own. A high-energy location as traffic flows in from the east and south.

Nearby

Links

An urban ’sanctuary’: Archbishop O’Brien dedicates Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden (includes video)
Baltimore Remembers Visit By Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden Groundbreaking press release
On Panoramio & Flickr