from The World War One Centennial Commission Act, January 14, 2013
World War One was a watershed in American history. The United States' decision to join the battle in 1917 "to make the world safe for democracy" proved pivotal in securing allied victory — a victory that would usher in the American Century.
In the war's aftermath, individuals, towns, cities, counties, and states all felt compelled to mark the war, as did colleges, businesses, clubs, associations, veterans groups, and houses of worship. Thousands of memorials—from simple honor rolls, to Doughboy sculptures, to grandiose architectural ensembles—were erected throughout the US in the 1920s and 1930s, blanketing the American landscape.
Each of these memorials, regardless of size or expense, has a story. But sadly, as we enter the war's centennial period, these memorials and their very purpose—to honor in perpetuity the more than four million Americans who served in the war and the more than 116,000 who were killed—have largely been forgotten. And while many memorials are carefully tended, others have fallen into disrepair through neglect, vandalism, or theft. Some have been destroyed. Watch this CBS news video on the plight of these monuments.
The extant memorials are our most salient material links in the US to the war. They afford a vital window onto the conflict, its participants, and those determined to remember them. Rediscovering the memorials and the stories they tell will contribute to their physical and cultural rehabilitation—a fitting commemoration of the war and the sacrifices it entailed.
We are building a US WW1 Memorial register through a program called the Memorials Hunters Club. If you locate a memorial that is not on the map we invite you to upload your treasure to be permanently archived in the national register. You can include your choice of your real name, nickname or team name as the explorers who added that memorial to the register. We even have room for a selfie! Check the map, and if you don't see the your memorial CLICK THE LINK TO ADD IT.
The Memorial is at the front of the cemetery. Michigan cemeterys are closed from Dusk until Dawn.
The plaque reads:
Erected to the Honor
of
the men and women of Tecumseh
Who served in
The Army and the Navy
of
The United States
During
The World War
1914-1918
* * *
Presented by Henry Bissell,
A civil War Veteran,
4th Michigan Infantry,
Dedicated May 30, 1928
"W.W.I. Barracks 3534 Veterans Memorial
erected by
American Legion
and Auxillary Batallion
Post 235
1988"
This World War I memorial honor roll plaque lists the residents of Florham Park, NJ that served during the war. The plaque is attached to a large stone, flanked by stone planters.
It is located on the grounds of Columbia School District #5, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
Haddonfield honored its World War I veterans with a two-part memorial. The borough’s high school, completed in 1927, was named Haddonfield Memorial High School. This elegant brick Georgian Revival school is still a landmark on the northwest side of Kings Highway east of the central business district.
The second part of the monument is an elegant ornamental granite bench placed in front of the west end of the high school. This symmetrical composition is anchored at either side by stone bollards with low conical caps. The central section is a tripartite granite slab composition with a taller, segmental arched central section. Elaborate scrolled brackets mark the lower corner of the central slab. A bronze plaque is placed on the front of the center section. The plaque, contains an honor roll of those who served in war & a bas-relief Great Seal of the United States.
Narrative adapted from "This is Haddonfield," Historical Society of Haddonfield, 1963.
Photos courtesy of:
NJ State Historic Preservation Office
Vintage postcard courtesy of: Rutgers University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
The Harrison WWI monument is an elaborate composition. Set on a low plinth, square in cross-section, its base level consists of a square stone box with bronze memorial plaques mounted to each side. Paired Doric columns rise from this base to a single entablature that features a projecting square clock face with ticks in lieu of numbers. The entablature is crowned by a stone orb. Perched atop the orb is a metal eagle with its wings spread.
Photo courtesy of: NJ State Archives
The monument consists of a standing figure of an Indian chief dressed in a loincloth and wearing an elaborate headdress with tails that fall down his back. He is cradling a tomahawk with his arms folded across his upper chest.
The bronze statue stands atop an inscribed granite base. The monument was dedicated to members of the Improved Order of Red Men (IORM) who lost their lives during World War I. Erected by the IORM of Camden County, it was dedicated on October 13, 1920; rededicated May 21, 1981.
Narrative adapted from Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) inventory #NJ000233.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
Vintage photo courtesy of: New Jersey State Archives
This monument consists of a rusticated granite slab placed on an irregular concrete slab base. The upper surface of the slab is finished & angled upward and is incised with “Lawnside” in capital letters. The front face of the slab contains a metal plaque with a symmetrically curved upper edge. The Lawnside town seal is placed at the top of the plaque. The remainder of the plaque consists of an honor roll listing those residents of the borough who served in World War I.
Photo courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This memorial is a modern adaptation of the classic Greek stele which was erected by the ancient Helenes in memory of soldiers who fell in foreign wars. Made of Vermont granite, it has a female figure representing Peace in high relief, standing atop a pedestal with arms and wings slightly spread. She wears a robe with a tie at the waist. Her hands are resting on columns at her sides.
Narrative adapted from Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) inventory #NJ000031.
Photo courtesy of: Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS)
Located in a small oblong park, this World War I monument consists of a shallowly tapering, rusticated stone base with a bronze plaque. The plaque has projecting corners and a symmetrical arched top, below which is placed a circular bas-relief medallion.
The base is topped with paired, rusticated, slightly projecting capstones. An eagle sits atop a marble base with its talons curling over the front side of the capstones. The spread-wing eagle has its head to the side. Low stone walls project from either side of the base.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
The World War I monument consists of a granite base whose top angles up to meet the lower corners of an arched top rusticated granite slab. Mounted to the front of the slab is a bronze plaque with an arched top and upper corner shoulders. This plaque, an honor roll, lists the names of the residents of Medford who served in the war.
Photo courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This monument consists of a two-part, stepped granite base with rusticated edges topped by a rectangular tapered shaft. Attached to the front of the shaft is a bronze honor roll plaque with corner shoulders & a shallow-gabled top. Atop the shaft is a granite ball with a bronze eagle, wings spread, perched on top.
Photo courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This WWI memorial, located at Hillside Elementary School, consists of a bronze plaque mounted to a smooth-faced boulder. The plaque contains a bas-relief eagle with wings spread, perched on an olive branch. The lower portion is an honor roll recognizing Montclair residents who served in the war.
Photo courtesy of: Mark Levitch & National Trust for Historic Preservation
This monument consists of a vertical quarry-faced granite slab resting on a horizontal granite slab base. A bronze plaque attached to the front contains an honor roll of Moorestown residents who served in World War I.
A newer, small plaque below, lists the sponsor of the monument. The monument is located in the triangular, Remembrance Park located downtown.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
The Newfoundland World War I Memorial is a rough cast rectangular granite slab on a dressed granite base. A bronze plaque with a green patina has an eagle in relief, and lists the men from Newfoundland who sacrificed their lives in the war.
It is an important remnant of the former civic center of Newfoundland that was situated in the vicinity of the adjacent rail station.
(Newfoundland is an unincorporated community located along the border of West Milford in Passaic County & Jefferson in Morris County, NJ.)
Photo courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This World War I granite memorial sits on the lawn of North Bergen’s Municipal building. It consists of a slab base with a canted top. The face of the monument is a thick granite slab with a rounded top, flanked by wings extending to either side to form capstones for battered flanking piers. Mounted to the center of the slab is a bronze plaque honor roll with vertical oak leaf edges, and an elaborate half-oval pediment flanked by scroll work.
The half-oval pediment contains a bas-relief depiction of Liberty standing on an orb of the world, her arms outstretched, holding a garland behind her. She is flanked by a soldier and a sailor. The rays of a rising sun over the ocean radiate behind the figures outward. Other elements include an airplane at lower right and a tank at lower left. A gun carriage with a cannon sits behind the soldier. A scroll legend at the top of the pediment reads, “Roll of Honor.”
The figures stand above a platform that reads, “For God and Country.” The honor roll lists the names of 38 North Bergen residents who fought in the war.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This memorial is one of three in Orange, NJ.
It is a vertical boulder slab with a rectangular bronze honor roll plaque mounted to the front. The honor roll memorializes area residents who died in WWI.
The memorial was erected by area veterans' groups in 1923.
Photo credit: Bill Coughlin & Historical Marker Database
The Pitman World War I Memorial is located downtown in Ballard Park. It lists an Honor Roll of Pitman residents who served.
The rectangular bronze plaque is mounted on a 6' quarry-faced granite stele with an arched top, on which perches a bronze eagle. The plaque has 3 framed panels at its top, with the Great Seal of the US flanked by vegetative decoration.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
The Pompton Lakes memorial consists of a small bronze plaque featuring a raised frame, upper shoulders, arched pediment, and bottom corner mutules. The top central portion of the monument features an eagle with its wings outstretched atop crossed partially furled flags.
The monument reads: "1917-1919. In honor of the men who served in the Army or Navy of the United States of American in the World War. This tablet is erected by the Borough of Pompton Lakes, N.J."
Photo courtesy of: Bill Coughlin & Historical Marker Database
The park contains memorials to several different wars. There are benches to sit on, and plenty of parking in the street.
This memorial is a large boulder with a plaque.
The plaque reads:
"In honor of the students of Potterville School who served in the World War 1914-1918" and there is a list of names readable in the gallery photo.
This memorial depicts a World War I soldier, his jacket is open in the front and he wears an ammunition belt. The figure is cast metal that has been painted, and sits on a red granite base. A bronze plaque on the base dedicates the memorial to Riverdale residents who served in the war.
Originally located on private property at the intersection of Hamburg & Newark turnpikes in Riverdale, it was moved to its current location in front of Riverdale Elementary School in 1963.
The statue was removed from its base in June 2016 due to deterioration. The plaque & base remain in place.
Narrative adapted from Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) inventory #NJ000607.
Photo courtesy of: Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS)
The Sayreville WWI Memorial contains a modern reproduction of the original bronze Honor Roll plaque, listing residents who served in the Great War. The entire monument consists of two flanking square shafts of yellow-gray brick of uneven height with faux corner quoins ornamentation. Originally crowned with corbeled brick battlements, this ornamentation has been replaced by concrete slab caps. The two shafts are joined together by a shorter brick wall which supports the bronze plaque containing the names of approximately the 350 local men who served.
The Honor Roll plaque, which is crowned by a semi-ovoid decorative panel containing the figure of Liberty striding forward atop a globe, flanked by a sailor to her left and a solder to her right. This panel is flanked by scroll brackets.
The monument was designed by Monsignor William Gilfillan, of Our Lady of Victories Roman Catholic Church. It was one of the first WWI monuments erected in the US. Built by local men of local materials, the bricks were donated by the Sayre & Fisher Brick Company - the borough's major industry.
Source: Sayreville Historical Society
Vintage images courtesy of Sayreville Historical Society
Photos courtesy of NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This World War I monument, centered in a grassy area, consists of a rusticated, pink granite stele set on a concrete slab. A bronze plaque with eared corners & a semi-oval top projection, is attached to the stele, and honors local residents who fought in the war.
A circular plaque with a laurel wreath & five-point bas-relief star is centered above the honor roll, honoring an individual veteran.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
This monument consists of a WWI doughboy statue atop a quarry-faced stone base & concrete slab. The soldier stands at attention with his rifle in his right hand with the butt resting on the ground.
A bronze plaque on the front of the monument contains an honor roll of local residents who served in WWI.
Photo courtesy of: RC & Historical Marker Database
The Spring Lake Community House is one of a small number of functional memorials constructed in New Jersey. It was dedicated to those who served in World War I and as a center for the community for 'social and educational purposes.'
Funds for the Community House were donated by Oliver H. Brown, a prominent Spring Lake civic leader, politician and philanthropist. He was elected in 1896 to the NJ State Assembly,and served as a delegate to the 1900 Republican National Convention. He later simultaneously held the offices of mayor of Spring Lake and NJ State Senator. Brown was a leading businessman who owned OH Brown's Furniture Store, and served as president of the First National Bank of Spring Lake.
The building was designed by New York architect, Frank Eaton Newman and built by local contractor, Horace Moore. The Tudor Revival structure houses the Spring Lake Library, a 350-seat theater, and meeting rooms. Since 1978, the Spring Lake Theatre Company has called it their home.
Photos courtesy of: NJ State Historic Preservation Office
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