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McKinley and Fame.

Fame Reaches for McKinley's Head

Field review by the editors.

Springfield, Massachusetts

This memorial looks like something you'd see in a ghastly old cemetery, not in a public square. Described at the time of its unveiling (1908) as "an exceedingly chaste and noble conception," it's a tall granite column, topped by a scowling bronze bust of assassinated President William McKinley. Frozen in front of it is a bronze statue of a young woman in drapery (the allegorical "Fame") trying to reach the remote head with a big palm frond.

The woman and big McKinley head, sculpted by Philip Martiny, have turned green with age. This enhances the monument's eeriness -- but photos of this memorial when it was still new show that it has always looked odd.

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Fame Reaches for McKinley's Head

Court Square

Address:
E. Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA
Directions:
In the little park next to the District Court building. On the north side of E. Columbus Ave. just east of Court St.
Admission:
Free
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

History Museum at Springfield MuseumsHistory Museum at Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA - < 1 mi.
Dr. Seuss: Amazing World and Sculpture GardenDr. Seuss: Amazing World and Sculpture Garden, Springfield, MA - < 1 mi.
17th Century Indian Snaps a Selfie17th Century Indian Snaps a Selfie, Springfield, MA - < 1 mi.
In the region:
World's Oldest Paperboy Statue, Great Barrington, MA - 40 mi.

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