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Firemen's Monument, Hoboken

Firemen's Monument is a memorial in Hoboken, New Jersey, designed by American sculptor Caspar Buberl and completed in 1891. Standing 8.5 meters tall, it was built for Church Square Park to commemorate the Volunteer Fire Department on May 30, 1891. The monument marks the end of the Volunteer Fire Department in the city, as firefighting became a paid profession earlier that year. Like several of Buberl’s works, it was modeled in zinc and cast in bronze, and was sold by JW Fiske.

Firemen\'s Monument showing a bronze rescue worker holding a child and lantern atop a tall granite pillar.
Firemen\'s Monument in Hoboken, New Jersey, with a bronze rescue figure standing on a granite pedestal.
March 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Firemen\'s Monument showing a bronze rescuer holding a child atop a tall stone pillar inside a fenced area.
Firemen\'s Monument features a bronze rescuer holding a child above a stone pillar, surrounded by a black iron fence.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Firemen\'s Monument showing a bronze rescue worker holding a child and a lantern on a stone pedestal.
Firemen\'s Monument features a bronze rescue worker with a child and lantern atop a stone pedestal.
January 2013 © · CC0
Firemen\'s Monument with a stone statue of a rescuer holding a child in a park, with men gathered nearby behind a red fence.
Firemen\'s Monument in a park setting, shown with a rescuer statue on a tall stone pedestal and a group of men nearby.
1905 © Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
Firemen\'s Monument stone pedestal inscription honoring the volunteer fire department, with a red, white, and blue floral wreath beside it.
The stone base of Firemen\'s Monument bears an inscription honoring the volunteer fire department, with a floral wreath at the side.
March 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleFiremen's Monument
Original Spanish nameMonumento a los Bomberos
Typemonument / statue

Historical context

PurposeTo commemorate the Volunteer Fire Department in Hoboken, including the end of volunteer firemen in the city
Historical contextBuilt after firefighting in Hoboken became a paid profession earlier in 1891
Commemorated eventThe end of the Volunteer Firemen in Hoboken
Related historical practiceIn the 19th century, firemen's memorial statues evolved from being placed in municipal burial plots to more accessible public places

Creator

SculptorCaspar Buberl
Artist nationalityAmerican

Discovery and provenance

Manufacturer / sellerJ.W. Fiske
SellerJW Fiske

Physical characteristics

Pedestal decorationEmblems of a ladder, pike poles, and a fire hose on the pedestal face
Pedestal materialGranite
Statue heightApproximately 8 feet
Pedestal height20 feet
Height8.5 m

Materials

MaterialZinc
Casting materialCast in bronze

Appearance

Figure depictedA mustached firefighter in uniform
Pose / attributesHolding a small child in a nightdress in his left arm and a lantern in his right hand
Child depictionA small child in a nightgown

Iconography and meaning

Interpretive comparisonSimilar statues have been noted as being modeled after statues of the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus
Subject matterFirefighters, especially those who died in the line of duty

Location and ownership

LocationWest end of Church Square Park, at Garden Street and 5th Street, Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States
SiteChurch Square Park

History and restoration

Completion year1891
Dedicated dateMay 30, 1891

Significance

Associated tourA yearly tour of Hoboken's historic sites begins with the statue
Renewed appreciation reasonInterest in the zinc statues was renewed after the September 11 attacks because many firefighters died in the attacks