Soldier’s Square Archive
A MONUMENT TO THE SACRIFICES OF OUR MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES - Every Soldier’s Square Project
The current monument in Soldier’s Square in Appleton, Wisconsin was dedicated by Albert Priest, the second owner of Hearthstone, in 1911 to the memory of his brother James, who died during the Civil War, and to all those who served in the Army and Navy during that conflict. Hearthstone intends to extend the meaning of the monument and its surrounding area to honor all United States veterans and active duty and reserve service members, regardless of their branch of service, the conflicts they have fought in, or whether they are living or passed through a new project. The project will also help revitalize the long neglected Soldier’s Square memorial.
A donation of $40 will create a monument to a veteran, active duty, or reserve service member by having an historic paving brick engraved with her or his name, branch of service, and conflict (if applicable). Each engraved brick will be incorporated into the redesigned Soldier’s Square to honor all those who serve our country. Although the name will not be officially be changed, the project will recast Appleton’s “Soldier’s Square” into “Every Soldier’s Square” - a monument to the sacrifices of those who serve our country and their families.
The bricks for the project are historic pavers dating from as early as 1890 that once lined the electric trolley lines that ran through Appleton and then served as Hearthstone’s driveway. Last year, Hearthstone needed to remove many of the bricks to accommodate installation of its new parking lot. Instead of having a salvage company cart them off to Madison or Milwaukee, where they would lose all of their historical significance and become just another commodity, Hearthstone volunteers removed over 13,000 of the nine pound bricks one-by-one and by hand. They pried out of the ground and palletized 53 tons of bricks in anticipation of this project.
In addition to helping Hearthstone, donations will raise funds for the John H. Bradley VA clinic in Appleton and Sculpture Valley, a local non-profit that has worked to restore area military memorials.
For additional information and to donate for a brick to honor a service member, please visit www.everysoldierssquare.org.