Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net

Architecture: Tombs

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Jean-Antoine Houdon, 1792 (original marble, copy installed 1957)
* Statue of George Washington
* standing person, cane
* Copied from the original marble by Houdon in the state capitol at Richmond by special permission of the General Assembly of Virginia. An eternal flame in front of the tomb, and the flags of the 13 original colonies fly along the walk leading up to it. The memorial was completed in 1957.
* inscription:
wall:
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.
In unmarked graves within this square lie thousands of unknown soldiers of Washington's army who died of wounds and sickness during the revolutionary war.
The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and success.
- Washington's farewell address, Sept. 17, 1796.
statue:
In memory of John Mclheiny
tomb:
Under this stone rests a soldier of Washington's Army who died to give you liberty
plaque:
The eternal flame dedicated in 1976 by Continental Bank in memory of those who fought and gave their lives that we might celebrate our 200th anniversary as a free people.
* Tomb. West side of Washington Square. South of 7th and Walnut.
* 39.947100,-75.152750 [map] [nearby]
* On the Washington Square tour
* Exhibits: War
* See also:
+ushistory.org page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's Jean-Antoine Houdon page
+wikipedia.org's George Washington page
+wikipedia.org's Washington Square page
+nps.gov's Cultural Landscape Report for Washington Square (449 page pdf)

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Gravestone of Monsignor Francis J. Ross
1955
* Memorial to Monsignor Francis J. Ross
* small cross, communion chalice, plants
* Was on the South side of Chestnut, East of 38th. Removed November, 2020 or earlier. Presumably reinterred elsewhere.
* inscription:
Tu es sacerdos in aeternum
Right Reverand Monsignor Francis J. Ross, D.D.
Born June 28, 1885
Ordained Nov. 1, 1911
Died Aug. 6, 1955
Requiscat in pace
* Gravestone. East side of St. Agatha - St. James Church.
* 39.954915,-75.197800 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Missing
* See also:
+thecatholicnewsarchive.org's Msgr. F.J. Ross obituary
+saintsaj.org

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Russell Conwell
Boris Blai, 1968
* Bust of Russell Conwell
* big head
* Conwell and his wife, Sarah S. Conwell, are buried behind the sculpture. The waterfall in the background of the third picture was added in 2017.
* The waterfall is part of the O'Connor Plaza Fountain
* inscription: Russell H. Conwell, Founder of Temple University, 1843-1925
* Conwell's burial site. Lower Northwest corner of Founder's Garden. Liacouras and Polett Walks.
* 39.981350,-75.155700 [map] [nearby]
* On the Temple Campus tour
* See also:
+findagrave.com entry for this piece
+wikipedia.org's Boris Blai page
+wikipedia.org's Russell Conwell page
+sikora-wa.com page for their Founder's Garden reimagining