Have you ever noticed the towering, gilded figure standing in Lincoln Park? It’s the Alexander Hamilton Monument, a tribute to one of America’s Founding Fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury. This statue is more than just a bronze figure on a granite pedestal. It represents a woman’s passionate vision – Kate Sturges Buckingham, a wealthy philanthropist who felt Hamilton was an “underappreciated great American.” Buckingham believed that his work secured the nation’s financial future, paving the way for her family’s fortune in banking and grain elevators. She wanted to create a colossal architectural setting for the monument, originally envisioning an eighty-foot-tall structure designed by the renowned architect Eliel Saarinen. Unfortunately, Saarinen’s ambitious design was not well received. After Buckingham’s death in 1937, the statue’s fate was uncertain. The monument’s completion faced delays, accusations of conspiracy, and even court battles. Eventually, a new setting was designed by architect Samuel A. Marx, featuring a cantilevered granite exedra. However, it was ultimately demolished in 1993 due to structural flaws. Today, only the gilded bronze statue of Hamilton stands proudly on a simple red granite base. Take a moment to appreciate this piece of Chicago’s history and the woman who championed this memorial to acknowledge the legacy of one of America’s most influential figures.
Chicago City Hall
What do Chicago’s playgrounds, schools, parks, and water supply have in common? They are all immortalized here at the Chicago