Cuyahoga County
Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument
Welcome to Cuyahoga County's Civil War Monument
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument commemorates the American Civil War; it consists of a 125' column surrounded at its base by a Memorial Room and esplanade. The column, topped with a statue of the Goddess of Freedom, defended by the Shield of Liberty, signifies the essence of the Nation for which Cuyahoga County veterans were willing to and did give their lives. Four bronze groupings on the esplanade depict, in battle scenes, the Navy, Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry.
Inside the Memorial Room are four bronze relief sculptures: Women's Soldiers' and Sailors' Aid Society, Beginning of the War in Ohio, Emancipation of the Slaves and End of the War at City Point, Va., as well as busts of Gen. James Barnett and Architect/ Sculptor Levi T. Scofield, together with 6 officers, who were either killed in action, or died of disease or their wounds.
2025 Tunnel Tours
Save the Date! Tunnel Tours will be back this year April 26 & 27 at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
Tickets will go on sale RIGHT HERE at SoldiersandSailors.com on April 3, 2025 at 10:00am. Be sure to click refresh on the page until you see the ticket link to purchase tickets.
Tickets are $5 and timed in half hour increments. We will do our best to keep to those time frames, but due to the nature of the tours high volume times may see some delays.
Not able to get a ticket? We will be offering our standby line again this year. While waiting in line does not guarantee a tour we do our best to get as many people through a tour as we can.
Monument Interpretive Guide / Caretaker
Location: 3 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Reports to: Executive Director
Hourly rate starting at: $14.00
Hours: 16 - 24 per week. Scheduling may vary weekly and by season and will include Saturdays and/or Sundays and special events.
May 10 - Veterans' Mental Health Fair
Harvey Statue Dedication
The third annual veterans Mental Health Fair will take place on Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Public Square outside of the Monument. The event is free and open to the public and will host regional organizations that help with veterans’ mental health. New this year, a dedication ceremony will be held at Noon for the Monument’s new “Harvey” statue. Harvey was the emotional support animal for Captain Daniel M. Stearns, who served in the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and afterwards suffered from undiagnosed PTSD. Service dogs, emotional support dogs, therapy dogs, and other four-legged friends are invited to the statue dedication.
May 30 - Traditional Decoration Day/Memorial Day Celebration
The Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument will also host a Memorial Day service on Traditional Decoration Day, Friday, May 30 from 11 a.m. to Noon. Remarks will be made by a local veteran on the Monument’s northwest steps, and the Monument will be open until 5:30 p.m. for tours of the Memorial Room. This event is also free and open to the public.
SSM Podcast Ep. 6 - Interview with President Lincoln
In this installment of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Podcast Executive Director Greg Palumbo has a conversation President Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Mel Maurer of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable. The interview is conducted from the perspective of Lincoln at the end of the war just days before his impending assassination.
The Valor of Companionship:
Daniel Stearns and Harvey’s Legacy
In 1862 a puppy wandered into a military training camp in Massillon, Ohio and befriended an up-and-coming officer in the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Daniel Stearns. The Berea, Ohio native had already seen action in the Civil War, serving with the 8th Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry. Stearns and the pup, soon named Harvey, would form a bond that would transcend the battlefield.
Though wounded several times and even captured once, Harvey stuck with Daniel throughout the duration of the Civil War. Over the course of the war Daniel Stearns began to suffer from what we might today characterize as Post-Traumatic Stress-Disorder. The complications caused by this disorder upon his return home would see him institutionalized towards the end of his life. However, Daniel Stearns family and friends noted that the only time he seemed like his old self was when he was with or caring for Harvey.
Harvey was beloved not only by Daniel Stearns but by all the men of the 104th. The veterans memorialized Harvey with lapel pins and even an oil painting. Today he is remembered on the grounds of the Carter House Museum of the Franklin Battlefield Trust in Tennessee. The Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Commission is honored to be able to recast this statue with thanks to the BOFT and artist Janel Maher.
Learn more about Harvey and Daniel’s story at SoldiersandSailors.com and see Daniel’s name on the wall in the Monument’s Memorial Room.
Support for this project is courtesy of the Parker Hannifin Veterans Business Resource Group.
Thank you to Downtown Cleveland Inc. for their efforts in the building of Harvey’s Garden.
Podcast Special Edition
Featuring a Discussion with Frm. Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas B. Modly on his book Vectors.
In this special installment of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Podcast Commission President Richard Prasse has a conversation with the Honorable Thomas B. Modly, former Acting Secretary of the Navy and author of Vectors: Heroes, Villains, & Heartbreak on the Bridge of the U.S. Navy.
Find Vectors: Heroes, Villains, and Heartbreak on the Bridge of the U.S. Navy at Amazon.com https://a.co/d/07qRMBx
Open Internship Opportunities
The Cuyahoga County Monument Commission is happy to announce two seasonal winter paid-internship opportunities.
Click Here for more information on author Lauren Pacini's book Honoring Their Memory: Levi Scofield, Cleveland's Monumental Architect and Sculptor
New Day Cleveland Downtown Road Trip
Thank you to Fox8's David Moss and New Day Cleveland for stopping by the Monument on their Downtown Road Trip. Watch the segment on YouTube where the Moss-man talks with Executive Director Greg Palumbo about our Cleveland treasure.