Shaw Memorial – National Rededication

A National Rededication Ceremony for the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial took place on June 1, 2022 on Boston Common. The restoration of the bronze memorial, started in summer 2020, was led by sculptor Robert Shure at Skylight Studios in Woburn, MA.

The restoration initiative was spearheaded by a unique partnership that included the National Park Service, City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department, Friends of the Public Garden and the Museum of African American History.

First unveiled on May 31, 1897, the Shaw Memorial is considered one of America’s most significant Civil War memorials, paying homage to the 54th Black Infantry Regiment of Boston composed of 1,000 African-American soldiers.

The Shaw Memorial was created by Irish-born Augustus Saint-Gaudens, whose family immigrated to Boston in 1848. Taking 14 years to complete, the memorial was the first public monument to accurately depict black soldiers in military uniform.

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