FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 10, 2009

Columbia Triumphant featured in history series
Latest installment traces history of the famed statue

FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders has released the next installment in its online history project that features the original Columbia Triumphant statue, which stands in Columbia Triumphant Park along Main Street in downtown Freehold.

Joining the county’s “These Historic Places” video series, the story of Columbia Triumphant is as fascinating as it is historic. Carved in 1883, the statue that now has a broken nose is all that is left of the original monument that was dedicated to those killed in the Battle of Monmouth.

The statue’s unveiling in 1884 drew crowds of between 15,000 and 20,000 people and various dignitaries to Freehold, including Gov. George B. McClellan, the former Civil War general. The statue was perched atop a 94-foot shaft in Monument Park, in front of the Monmouth County Courthouse.

But 10 years later, in 1894, Columbia Triumphant was struck by lightning, causing severe damage to the statue’s nose, left leg, sword hilt and drape of the sculpture. In 1895, the Legislature appropriated $3,500 to replace the damaged statue. Columbia Triumphant was removed and brought to Quincy, Mass., where an exact replica was made. The new statue was placed atop the shaft in 1896, and the original remained property of the Monmouth Battlefield Monument Commission.  

Under an agreement with the new statue maker, the lower portion of the original Columbia Triumphant was to be demolished; the bust, or upper 4 feet 6 inches, was to be delivered to the Commission for placement on a pedestal. But that never happened. For more than 100 years, her whereabouts were unknown until local historian Carl Steinberg tracked her to the back yard of a residence in Jackson Township. It was returned to Freehold in 2003.

“The video series gives residents a chance to learn about some great local and state history and efforts being made to preserve historic sites and artifacts,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said. “Residents who log onto the county’s Web site can learn a great deal about county projects and resources – this history project is just one of the many resources available at www.visitmonmouth.com.”

The Monmouth County Historical Commission is dedicated to preserving the past and creating a living history. For information about the county’s Historical Commission, contact the Hall of Records Annex, 2nd floor, Freehold, NJ 07728, or call (732) 431-7413. Information can also be found on the county’s Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com.

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