1906 Nov 25 The State
“The legislature of the State of South Carolina has given
to the DAR a handsome moonlight which will be ornamented suitably as a monument
to the memory of the Revolutionary patriots as typified in the names of Marion,
Laurens, Moultrie, Pickens, Sumter, etc.”
Mrs. Robertson, committee chairman, wrote a
letter to the regent of each chapter on November 24, 1906. This letter informed the regents that by
their position they were ex-officio members of the committee and that
communication would be through the Sunday edition of The State newspaper. The central committee was Mrs. Robertson,
Miss Martin, Mrs. Gantt, Sara Richardson, and Malvina Waring.
1906 Dec 9 The State
News was the work on the monument was being pushed
rapidly. Mrs. Robertson placed a letter
to the chapter regents in the newspaper.
The design presented by Mr. Ruckstuhl was formally accepted and a post
card photo of the design was to be sent in the next few days. (If any chapter
has this post card in their chapter scrapbooks, please let me know!!!) She asked for regents to let the chairman
know their feelings as the central committee wanted each regent to have a
personal interest in it.
She goes on to say that the design was submitted three
years ago by Jones and Kepler, architectural draughtsmen. Unfortunately, the SCDAR was not in a
position to have the working drawings made.
Mr. Kepler has moved to Washington, D.C.; however, Mr. Jones was with a
reputable firm. Jones will have
charge of the work while his firm Shand and Lafaye has been given the
contract. The firm showed an interest in
the work and only charged the SCDAR half of the usual price for this type of
work, $0.05.
George Collins who did the work on the Gonzales monument
and put up the Hampton statue will construct the foundation. He was recommended highly by Ruckstuhl as
being both efficient and obliging.
The monument is to be three sided with the triune concept
carried out in every detail. There would
be three broad steps leading up to the pedestal featuring graceful scroll on
each corner. Above this pedestal would
be the broken column. She stated that
the column would not be left broken because it was not erected to the memory of
“broken and unfinished lives, but to victorious and glorious heroes.” The column would be capped with a Corinthian
capital bearing the insignia of the DAR and on the three sides would be trees
representing the low country (palmetto), middle (magnolia), and up country
(oak). All of this would be of the
beautiful Fairfield granite [blue granite] which Mr. Ruckstuhl declared to be
as fine as any he ever saw. To finish
the monument, a grand bronze eagle with out spread wings on a half sphere would
top the monument. The committee hoped to
have Ruckstuhl model the eagle.
She concluded by stating that not only would be monument
be to the three Partisan generals but to all “those Revolutionary heroes who
fought with them.” Contributions were
not to be given out of obligation but because as a DAR of South Carolina you
considered it a privilege and a duty to honor your noble ancestors.
Again, the SCDAR would turn its attention to Memorial Continental Hall. This time, the SCDAR would focus its efforts in raising the $2000 for its monolithic column for the Memorial Portico.
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| Memorial Continental Hall - the Memorial Portico is in the left portion of the picture |
1907 Jun 23 The State
The central committee met and could happily turn its
whole attention to our monument since the column had been entirely paid. Mrs. Robertson remarked that the SCDAR should
be proud that the state had paid for its column. She had served as a member of the Continental
Hall committee by invitation of the president general. She was in attendance at the meeting when the
contributions from the state were announced.
She stated that she wished the members could have heard the enthusiasm
when it was announced that SC’s column had been fully paid.
Plans and specifications had been submitted last spring
to several contractors to get an idea of the cost for erecting the monument;
however, no contract was given. Based on
these estimates, the cost will require at least $5000 and only $1500 was in the
bank.
The chapters were encouraged to raise funds to help with
this noble cause and to bring those contributions to state conference which
would be held the last week in November in Charleston.
1908 Jan 5 The State
The central committee met and was unanimous in its
determination to bring about enthusiasm among the state to raise the necessary
funds to begin the work during the year with the goal of completing it in two
years. A circular would be sent to all
chapter regents urging them to devote their efforts to the completion of the
monument. (If any chapter has this circular, please let me know!) She noted that at state
conference, changes to the design were made.
Instead of it being a three sided monument, it would be a four sided
shaft to better accommodate the inscriptions.
A letter from Mr. Ruckstuhl had just been received in which he offered
any assistance he might give to see the monument completed.
The design which had been accepted by the committee,
subject to modifications, was made by Shand and LaFaye. The meeting closed with discussion for fund
raising. It was resolved to ask chapters
to make arrangements for an entertainment on Washington’s birthday [for the purpose of raising funds for the monument].
1908 Feb 8 The State
The state monument committee met at the home of Sara
Richardson to meet with Ruckstuhl, the man who executed the Hampton equestrian
statue on the state house grounds. He was
on his way to Florence, Italy to execute the Calhoun statue which would be
placed in Statuary Hall. It was hoped to
have him execute Victoria which would be the final touch to our monument.
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| Wade Hampton Equestrian statue |
This was also printed in The Daily Record on the
same day.
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