The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is a 43-foot (13 m) tall Gothic Revival memorial which stands here in Penn Square in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was dedicated on July 4, 1874, at its present site on the Northeast intersection of King and Queen Streets. The monument's original intention was to pay tribute to Lancastrian Union soldiers killed during the American Civil War. However, today the Soldiers and Sailors Monument also represents those who have served in subsequent American military conflicts.
The Lancaster Soldiers and Sailors Monument features a Rhode Island, rectangular granite pillar topped with a statue of a robed woman on a pedestal known as the "Genius of Liberty". The Genius of Liberty faces north and holds a drawn sword and a shield. Her head is crowned with stars.
Statues of four men representing the four branches of the American armed services surround the granite shaft near its base – those being the U.S. Navy, Army, Artillery, and Calvary.
The names of several Civil War battles are carved on the monument's central granite pillar, as the memorial's original intent was to honor those killed in that particular war. The inscriptions include the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Chickamauga, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Malvern Hill, the Battle of Petersburg, and the Battle of the Wilderness.
Several bronze plaques have been added to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument since its construction, memorializing members of the American armed forces.
Additionally, the 1744 Treaty of Lancaster between the British and Iroquois was signed in the old Lancaster courthouse which stood on the site of the monument at the time.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument also stands on the exact spot where the Second Continental Congress met during the American Revolutionary War on September 27, 1777, in the old Lancaster Courthouse.
The monument has been listed on the national Register of Historic Places since April 2, 1973.
Since this virtual cache is located on a busy intersection, plan accordingly. I've adjusted the difficulty to 2 for the city environment. Parking nearby is metered, however, there is free two-hour free parking within a quarter mile on N. Mulberry Street off Orange St. As a bonus, Lancaster Central Market (the oldest, continuously running public farmer’s market in the country) - open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays - is very close and worth a stop if visiting the area.
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In order to log this cache, please email me the answers to these four questions:
1. On the pedestal is a plaque entitled Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. What date was this presented?
2. Find the oval Historic Preservation Trust Site plaque. What numeral is under the rose?
3. The Revolutionary War plaque has one date in its text. What is that date?
4. Diagonally from the monument corner is a flagpole about 40 feet away. There is a gray outlet box on the pole, about two feet high. What words are written on it?
Please post a photo of you or your group at the monument with your log. No spoilers please!
**Disclaimers:
1) The 'spirit' of this virtual is to take a bit of time and view this historical location up close and in person. I reserve the right to question and/or delete any logs that do not meet this criteria.
2) if this location is closed due to a special event or parade, and you are visiting this area from a significant distance away, I will take that into consideration on a case by case basis.
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Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
Congratulations polecat42 - first to vist and confirm answers