Doughboy Statue Re-Dedication – Sat, June 9
10am in Madison Memorial Park (2nd & Spring Garden)
The restoration of Over The Top, the WWI Doughboy statue in Madison Park, at 2nd Street and Spring Garden is complete.
Northern Liberties Neighbors Association in conjunction with the Friends of the Doughboy continue to work on the restoration and renovation of the Doughboy statue as well as maintain the park located at 2nd & Spring Garden Streets. I am pleased to share the news that the bayonet and the stolen plaque have been replaced.The names of the 400 soldiers from the missing bronze plaque were provided by Charles and Mildred Vessey. Mildred's father, Charles Burg, was a WWI Vet and had attended the original ceremony. He told them to keep the program because "some day someone will want those names"The Doughboy statue is located at Second and Spring Garden streets and honors soldiers (known as doughboys) from the River Wards who served. The statue is a bronze figure of a WWI Doughboy in uniform with field pack, carrying a rifle with bayonet in his left hand. A plaque plaque on the front of the granite pedestal reads: “IN MEMORY OF OUR BOYS OF THE SIXTH, ELEVENTH, AND TWELFTH WARDS WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR OF THE NATIONS, 1914 – 1918.”The renovation would not have been possible without the generous financial support of Penn Treaty Special Services District, Transport Workers Union Local 234 and neighborhood friends including Mary Dankanis. City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and Kensington Memorial Amvets have also been supporters of this project. Thank you. Barbara Saverino
