The Perry Monument That Almost Never Was

In 1922, during a period of massive inflation resulting from WWI, Erie, Pennsylvania, was trying to raise funds for the construction of a stadium in front of Academy High School. To support the stadium cause, the Erie school board came up with the idea to use $48,000 in Perry Memorial Commission funds leftover from an appropriation by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

The funds were earmarked for a memorial honoring the centennial of Oliver Hazard Perry’s War of 1812 victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie. Fought on September 10, 1813, the battle became a pivotal point in the war, because the victory returned control over Lake Erie to the United States. 

The $48,000 was just a portion of the state appropriation for the 100^th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Lake Erie. The fund had been sitting idle since 1913 when a significant portion had been used to raise and rebuild the USS Niagara, which served as the relief ship for Oliver Hazard Perry, who was credited with the famous, “Don’t give up the ship,” slogan. 

The school district and stadium-planning committee thought they could meet the mandate of a memorial, and claim the funds, by naming the new structure Perry Memorial Stadium. Senator A.E. Sisson, a member of the state commission, informed the committee that the money could only be used for the building of a memorial. He said a stadium was not a memorial, but they could use it to create one at its entrance. It’s interesting that Sisson didn’t consider a stadium to be a memorial considering the fact that the structure today, Veterans Memorial Stadium, is the largest memorial in a wide area dedicated to those who fought and died in World War I.

The $48,000 was not used for the stadium, but Perry Memorial, as it was originally called, was dedicated on September 10, 1926, the 113^th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. The obelisk, located on Crystal Point on Presque Isle State Park was constructed of brick and concrete, faced with Indiana limestone. The monument is 101 feet tall and 8.5 feet wide at the base, tapering to approximately 6.5 feet where it’s topped by an 8-foot tall bronze tripod. The firm of Fuller & Stickle designed the memorial, which was built by Erie-based Continental Construction Company.  

Nearly forty years later, in advance of the 1963 Perry sesquicentennial, the monument was repointed, with nearly every block needing to be reset, as mortar deteriorates with age. In 1969 plans were made to build a park around the memorial, with comfort facilities, picnic tables, and plenty of green space. By 1970 the project was complete, and a moat had been added to the monument to prevent its desecration, which had been a problem. In the mid-1990s, the Presque Isle Partnership led a project to restore the monument again.

Today, a large chunk of the limestone has fallen off Perry Monument and lies in pieces at its base. the moat is dry and filled with litter. In its present state, the obelisk does not honor Commodore Perry. It is an embarrassment to the people of Pennsylvania.

Who will pay for the restoration? The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? Presque Isle State Park? Perhaps the Presque Isle Partnership and the Flagship Niagara League can help. The fact that one section of the monument has fallen off is an indication that it is not the last, and the time is now to take action. 

UPDATE: The original photo that went with this post has been replaced with one that my uncle, Dan Silverthorn, took in 1968. I’ve also added photos below of the monument on 7/22/2021. The last photo shows the condition on that day of a section that broke away and prompted news stories about the cause, which was originally feared to be vandalism. It was since judged to be a result of aging. The monument is in deplorable condition. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided the funds for its construction. Various groups have renovated and improved it over the past century. it desperately needs attention again.