Battleship Maine Monument, War memorial in Davenport Park, Bangor, United States.
The Battleship Maine Monument is a triangular granite structure in Davenport Park that displays salvaged components from the sunken vessel, crowned by a bronze eagle. The memorial features bronze plaques with inscriptions and incorporates original decorative metalwork recovered from the ship itself.
The monument was created to commemorate the 1898 explosion of USS Maine in Havana Harbor, an event that triggered the Spanish-American War. Recovery of ship components occurred years later, transforming the site into a repository of authentic remnants from the disaster.
The monument's bronze plaque lists the ship's loss on February 15, 1898, and the city's erection of the memorial in 1922. Bangor Mayor Flavius O. Beal and Congressman Frank E. Guernsey lobbied for the city to receive the ship's shield and scrolls, which became the focus of the memorial. The relics were briefly sold for scrap by a city employee in 1920 before most were recovered.
The monument stands on the east side of Davenport Park, south of downtown Bangor, near the corner of Main and Cedar Streets. A path lined with plantings leads to it from Main Street, and benches sit nearby. The triangular granite base measures 12 feet on each side.
The ship's shield and scrolls were sold for scrap by a city employee in 1920; the city recovered most of them, and the theft spurred renewed action. A new site in Davenport Park was chosen, and local architect Edwin S. Kent produced the design. The memorial was dedicated on October 17, 1922, at a cost of $5,300.
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