Civil War Memorial, War memorial sculpture near DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore, Illinois.
This marble memorial features a central obelisk crowned by a soldier figure holding a flag and sword, rising approximately 50 feet (15 meters) from the ground. Copper statues of infantry and cavalry soldiers stand on either side of the base, forming a complete composition dedicated to those lost in war.
Dedicated in 1897, the memorial honors thousands of DeKalb County residents who fought in the Civil War during the 1860s. Its construction came decades after the conflict ended, reflecting the region's effort to preserve the memory of those who served.
The monument bears inscriptions of major battle names and passages from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address carved into its marble surfaces, preserving the legacy of the conflict in stone. These texts allow visitors to connect directly with the weight of history at this site.
The memorial stands in a public square near the DeKalb County Courthouse and is maintained by county officials. The location is easily accessible and provides open space for visitors to walk around and spend time reading the inscriptions at their own pace.
A 2005 restoration revealed that the memorial's statues were actually made of copper, not bronze as many assumed for more than a century. This discovery provided new insight into the construction methods and material choices the builders used when creating this monument.
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