LPC - Benton Monument Restoration

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Project: Benton Monument Restoration

"Step Right Up" To Help Restore the Benton Monument
The Lafayette Park Conservancy is raising funds to conserve and restore the colossal bronze statue of Senator Thomas Hart Benton that graces the center of the park. Benton, nicknamed "Old Bullion", was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1820 when Missouri became a state. He served five consecutive terms there. The monument, St. Louis's first, was originally dedicated in 1868 before a crowd of nearly 40,000 citizens. Benton, a staunch proponent of westward expansion, overlooks the western horizon.

To celebrate the 140th anniversary of the statue's dedication and raise the funds needed to restore it the Conservancy has organized the following three events to be held on June 13 and 14. These events celebrate not only the statue itself, but also the uncommonly talented and fiercely independent artist who created it, Harriet Hosmer, the world-renowned sculptor who died exactly 100 years ago in 1908.

Hosmer Symposium - This international educational event focuses on the life and works of Harriet Hosmer. Although most of her professional career was spent in Rome, Hosmer attended medical school in St. Louis to study anatomy and several of her works are located here, so there is a significant St. Louis connection. The symposium will kick off with a dessert reception and a one-woman play on Friday evening, June 13, at the Saint Louis Mercantile Library located on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. It will continue on Saturday morning, June 14, at the Kemper museum on the campus of Washington University. Admission to the Symposium is $40 for the general public, $30 for members of the Conservancy and other sponsoring organizations, $15 for students. (Please click here or on the heading above to see the full symposium program or to register to attend.)

Benton Monument Celebration - On Saturday afternoon, June 14, we will meet at the Benton Monument itself in Lafayette Park from 4:30-6:00 PM to celebrate both Flag Day and the statue's 140th birthday. Patriotic music, speeches, carriage rides, a gallery tour and more will be included, with food and merchandise available for purchase. Come one, come all--attendance is free and open to the public.

"Hats Off To Hattie" Gala - Beginning at 6 PM on Saturday evening, June 14, this elegant fundraising event will feature mansion and garden tours, musicians, dining under decorated tents, fine art sales and an auction of irresistibly indulgent items. If you would like to receive a formal invitation or reserve a table please contact Linda Weiner at linderweiner@gmail.com to add your name to our mailing list. You may also order your tickets now by clicking here to print an order form or by calling the Lafayette Park Conservancy at (314) 772-5724.

Other Events - The Kemper Art Museum on Washington University's campus will have Hosmer works on display from May 2 through July 21, with a gallery talk about them taking place at 6 p.m. on June 18. See their newspaper article for details. Elizabeth Pickard will perform her highly entertaining and informative one-woman play, Zenobia Unchained: The Life and Work of Harriet Hosmer, at 2 p.m. on July 11 and July 25 at the Missouri History Museum.

Hosmer image provided by The Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute - Harvard University