Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial
The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial – located on Beacon Street, at the edge of the Boston Common – is recognized as a national historic landmark and remains an important symbol of the struggle for civil rights in the United States.
The Partnership to Renew the Shaw 54th Memorial Regiment – comprised of the National Park Service, City of Boston, Friends of the Public Garden, and Museum of African American History Museum of African American—rallied together as a community to save the deteriorating monument. Allegrone Masonry was awarded as the self-performing masonry contractor and general contractor for the project. The work to restore the monument was performed during one of the most challenging times in recent history, with a global pandemic, political tensions and public debate about race and social justice.
The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial proudly stands on Boston Common as a powerful testament to the cost of freedom and the true meaning of the Civil War, and remains an important symbol of the struggle for civil rights in the United States.
The memorial was commissioned in 1884 by Shaw's family and friends, who wanted to honor his memory and the memory of the soldiers who served under him. They selected the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create the memorial. Saint-Gaudens worked on the Shaw Memorial for more than 14 years with the help of several assistants. The Shaw Memorial was unveiled on Memorial Day, May 31, 1897, in a ceremony attended by thousands of people. It was the first public monument in the United States to honor African American soldiers. The memorial quickly became a popular destination for visitors to Boston.
This monument is without question, and I’ve seen a lot of them, the greatest public monument, not only about the Civil War, but possibly the greatest work of public art in the United States.”
Sterling Professor of American History at Yale UniversityRelated News
Today's late morning national rededication of the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial marked the culmination of a three-year, $3 million restoration of the monument, which has served as a catalyst for a broad conversation on race, equity and social justice for all.
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