The Life of Soldiers Memorial

The Allegheny Soldiers Memorial was built of the native stone quarried from the cemetery itself. The memorial, in the form of a rostrum and memorial wall, was conceived and designed to bring together in remembrance, the soldiers who fought to gain and hold the independence of their country.

The monumental wall, designed by Pittsburgh architect, Brandon Smith is 116 feet long and 30 feet high of classic design with detail inspired by Greek motif. Relieving the main masses of wall, is cut stone of severely plain design embellished with carving and bronze to symbolize, in conjunction with the rubble walls, that simplicity in its monuments is the choice and not the necessity of the Nation. Flanking the rostrum are shafts hewn from single pieces of stone and fluted on each face with 13 flutes, representing the original Colonies of the United States. These shafts are topped by bronze eagles poised ready to flight, symbolizing the vigilance of a free people in defense of their soil, their homes and their liberties. The eagles were modeled by Bradley Warren, a Pittsburgh sculptor and the stone and bronze bases of the two flagpoles on each side of the monument follow in form one of the prize designs of a competition which was held among the students of the School of Sculpture at Carnegie Institute of Technology. The Center tablet is inscribed ll