William M. Reilly Memorial: Revolutionary War Heroes (1947 – 1961)

by Various Artists

Photo Caption: Photo Caitlin Martin © 2015 for the Association for Public Art
  • Title

    William M. Reilly Memorial: Revolutionary War Heroes

  • Artist

    Various Artists

  • Year

    1947-1961

  • Location

    Terrace northwest of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, at Waterworks Drive

  • Medium

    Bronze, on granite bases

  • Themes

    Military Generals, The American Revolution

Commissioned by the First People’s Bank Trustees for Reilly Trust

Owned by the Reilly Trust

At A Glance

  • General William M. Reilly of the Pennsylvania National Guard established a trust fund to create monuments to Revolutionary War heroes

  • Four bronze statues were installed by 1947 in the terrace northwest of the Art Museum

  • As specified in the will, the first four sculptures commemorated Montgomery, Pulaski, von Steuben, and Lafayette

  • Sculptures of John Paul Jones and Nathanael Greene were installed in 1957 and 1961

In his will of 1890, General William M. Reilly of the Pennsylvania National Guard established a trust fund for the purpose of creating monuments to Revolutionary War heroes. The earnings were to accumulate until the fund became large enough for the memorial to be realized. In 1938, when the fund reached the necessary level, the trustees set the project in motion, and four bronze statues were installed by 1947.

As specified in the will, these first four sculptures commemorated…volunteers from other lands who “threw themselves into the cause of emancipating the colonies from the yoke of British tyranny.”

Although Reilly had requested a site near Independence Hall, the larger-than-life figures were placed instead in the terrace northwest of the Art Museum. C. Louis Borie, Jr., one of the architects of the museum itself, designed the granite bases.

As specified in the will, these first four sculptures commemorated Montgomery, Pulaski, von Steuben, and Lafayette, volunteers from other lands who “threw themselves into the cause of emancipating the colonies from the yoke of British tyranny.” In addition to honoring their achievements, General Reilly wrote, the memorial would express “appreciation and gratitude to the lands which gave these liberty-loving men their birth.”

By the terms of the will, funds remaining after the erection of the four original monuments were to be applied to other statues of Revolutionary heroes. Accordingly the trustees commissioned bronze figures of John Paul Jones and Nathanael Greene, which were installed in 1957 and 1961, respectively. The six sculptures are arranged in two facing rows.

Adapted from Public Art in Philadelphia by Penny Balkin Bach (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1992).

William M. Reilly Memorial
The William M. Reilly Memorial. Photo Caitlin Martin for the Association for Public Art.

 

Sculptures in the William M. Reilly Memorial:

This artwork is part of the Around the Philadelphia Museum of Art tour

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