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Israel Putnam Monument

The Israel Putnam Monument is an equestrian statue in the town of Brooklyn, Connecticut, United States. Designed by sculptor Karl Gerhardt, it was dedicated in 1888 in honor of Israel Putnam, a Connecticut native who served as a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The monument was created in response to the deterioration of Putnam’s grave in Brooklyn cemetery, and state funding was provided on the condition that it also serve as his tomb. After completion, Putnam’s remains were reinterred beneath the monument. The dedication took place on June 14 in a large ceremony attended by honored guests, including the governors of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Israel Putnam Monument depicting a bronze military figure on a rearing horse atop a stone pedestal.
The Israel Putnam Monument shows the Revolutionary War hero mounted on a rearing horse above a dark stone pedestal.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Israel Putnam Monument, an equestrian bronze statue on a granite pedestal outdoors.
The Israel Putnam Monument shows an equestrian bronze figure on a tall granite base in a park setting.
1995 © Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · Public domain
Israel Putnam Monument with a bronze equestrian statue of a man in military uniform and tricorn hat on a tall stone pedestal.
The Israel Putnam Monument features a bronze equestrian statue atop a tall stone pedestal.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Israel Putnam Monument showing a bronze equestrian statue on a granite pedestal.
The Israel Putnam Monument stands on a granite pedestal beneath a blue sky and trees.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bronze wolf relief on the Israel Putnam Monument pedestal
A bronze wolf relief mounted on the pedestal of the Israel Putnam Monument.
July 2014 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleIsrael Putnam Monument
Alternative titleMonument to Israel Putnam
TypeEquestrian monument

Historical context

SubjectIsrael Putnam, an American military officer and Continental Army major general in the American Revolutionary War

Creator

DesignerKarl Gerhardt
Designer backgroundNative of Hartford; studied sculpture in Paris; some of his works were exhibited at the Salon

Discovery and provenance

Pedestal donorThomas Smith Marlor
Related earlier statueA separate statue of Israel Putnam by John Quincy Adams Ward was dedicated in 1874 in Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut
Initial local fundraising$500
Initial fundraising goalUS$10,000
Monument associationPutnam Monument Association, formed by local citizens of Windham County to raise funds
Project costAbout $20,000
Budget limitNot more than $10,000
Planned completion dateBy October 1, 1887 at the latest
Contract dateOctober 1886
Reason for creationCreated in response to the deterioration of Putnam's tomb in Brooklyn cemetery
Competition prize$250 for the winning design
Selection processChosen after a competition: 25 designs were submitted in the initial competition, then a second competition specifically for equestrian statue designs was held and four proposals were considered
CommitteeA committee of seven Connecticut citizens appointed by the Connecticut government on February 19, 1886, including George P. McLean and George G. Sumner
Funding conditionThe monument was required to also serve as Putnam's tomb
FundingThe Connecticut state government allocated funds for the monument
Historical contextCreated to honor Israel Putnam after vandalism damaged the stone slab covering his tomb; Putnam's tomb was the first memorial erected in his honor
Contract amount$9,750 additional payment to Gerhardt to create the monument

Physical characteristics

Base decorationBronze laurel wreath of oak leaves
Base shapeOval
Depicted figureIsrael Putnam on horseback
Horse poseLeft front leg raised
Pose of figureHolding the horse's reins with his left hand and pointing forward with his right hand
Pedestal featuresTwo large polished bronze plaques, one on either side of the pedestal

Appearance

Decorative emblemBronze wolf heads on the front and back of the monument, emblem of the Putnam family
Pedestal inscriptionsThe plaques bear inscriptions copied from the lid of Putnam's original tomb
Statue inscriptionKARL GERHARDT / 1887
Manufacturer inscriptionThe Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co. / N.Y.
Figure attireRevolutionary War clothing, including a tricorne hat and a sword hanging at his left side

Materials

Statue materialBronze
Pedestal materialGranite

Location and ownership

LocationA plot of land near the center of Brooklyn, Connecticut, just south of the town green
Site donorThomas Smith Marlor

History and restoration

Contemporary criticismContemporary reviewers criticized the monument, especially the horse
People honored at ceremonyWilliam H. Putnam, Gerhardt, and Marlor were invited to the stage and applauded
The Sun review dateSeptember 1886
The Sun review"There is a sinister suggestion of spavin toward the rear, while toward the front, the shoulders and legs come together in a spasmodic upward jump that was never seen on land nor at any sea horse."
1890 reviewThe statue was called a "clumsy copy" of Henry Kirke Brown's equestrian statue of Nathanael Greene
T. H. Bartlett review dateJune 1888
T. H. Bartlett criticismHe similarly criticized the horse design
Military reviewGovernor Lounsbury reviewed several military organizations present at the ceremony
Florence Cole Quinby assessmentIn 1913, Quinby suggested that the reviewer for The Sun was exaggerating and said the statue was "by no means the least effective of the equestrian statues in America"
VandalismBy the 1980s, two bronze wolf heads were stolen from the front and back of the monument
Honorary speaker at dedicationGovernor Royal C. Taft of Rhode Island spoke in honor of those who fought in the American Revolution
UnveilingJohn D. Putnam, a descendant of Israel Putnam, unveiled the statue
Memorial addressHenry C. Robinson gave a commemorative address
Poem read at dedicationCharles F. Johnson of Trinity College in Hartford
Acceptance of statueGovernor Phineas C. Lounsbury accepted it on behalf of the state
Dedication speechMorris Seymour introduced the statue
Dedication music"Hail, Columbia", "The Star-Spangled Banner", and "America"
Dedication invocationPrayer by Reverend Timothy Dwight V
Dedication ceremonyLarge ceremony with several guests of honor
Dedication dateJune 14, 1888
Replica grave markerA replica of the stone marked the former location of the grave
Original grave markerThe original stone cover for Putnam's grave was moved to safekeeping in the Connecticut State Capitol
BurialPutnam's remains were exhumed and reinterred under the monument in a metal coffin
Original burial requirementThe law stated the monument was to be erected over Putnam's grave
InspectionSurveyed in 1993 as part of the Save Outdoor Sculpture! project