Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument, Memorial monument in Alton, United States
The Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument is a granite memorial in Alton Cemetery, Illinois, featuring a tall central spire topped by a winged bronze figure. Two flanking shafts with bronze eagles stand on either side of the main spire, giving the whole structure a symmetrical form.
The monument was erected in 1897 to honor newspaper editor Elijah P. Lovejoy, who was killed in Alton in 1837 while defending his printing press from a mob. He had published abolitionist views in his paper, which made him a target for those who opposed them.
The base of the monument carries bronze reliefs on all four sides showing scenes from Lovejoy's life and his fight for press freedom. Each panel tells a part of the story in images that visitors can read like a sequence.
The monument stands in Alton Cemetery on Monument Avenue and is open to visitors from sunrise to sunset throughout the year. The ground around the structure can be uneven, so sturdy footwear is a good idea, particularly after rain.
The memorial has a stone whispering wall where sounds travel along a curved bench structure and can be heard clearly on the opposite side. This acoustic feature is easy to miss but rewards anyone who takes a moment to try it.
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