Bridgeport honors the 100th anniversary of its founding (and the U.S. bicentennial) with a granite memorial on a pre-colonial era militia ground. The Centennial Monument, near the intersection of North Avenue (Route 1) and Brooklawn Avenue, stands at the southeast corner of the Clinton Park Militia Grounds. The memorial bears a large centennial emblem featuring […]
An allegorical representation of Liberty again graces the 1876 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Bridgeport’s Seaside Park. Thanks to the Friends of Seaside Park, a replica of a six-foot marble statue representing Liberty was dedicated on Saturday morning at the monument honoring Bridgeport’s Civil War veterans. The original marble statue was removed in the late […]
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Bridgeport honors Hall-of-Fame baseball pioneer James O’Rourke with a monument outside the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. The bronze statue by West Haven sculptor Susan Clinard was dedicated on late August to honor O’Rourke, who recorded the first hit in the National League in 1876 as part of a career that spanned 23 years. Known as […]
The tornado that struck the greater Bridgeport area Thursday afternoon caused serious damage to the Barnum Museum’s building and collections. Two large windows near the museum’s Main Street entrance broke, allowing wind and water into the building. The museum is seeking contributions to help with the restoration effort. More information and a PayPal link are […]
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On Thursday afternoon, a tornado struck Bridgeport and surrounding towns. Based on a quick tour Saturday morning, the city’s downtown war memorials escaped storm damage. In downtown Bridgeport, the war memorials outside McLevy Hall appeared fine. A large tree was uprooted near the corner of Broad and State streets, and several trees were damaged at […]
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Two monuments honor the 28 workers killed in a 1987 construction accident at the L’Ambiance Plaza apartment complex in Bridgeport. At the Washington Avenue accident site, a seven-foot statue of a construction worker honors the 28 workers killed, and the 22 injured, when the L’Ambiance Plaza building collapsed halfway through construction on April 23, 1987. […]
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After an extensive restoration, Bridgeport this week rededicated a memorial fountain honoring sewing machine manufacturer and civic leader Nathaniel Wheeler. The 1912 fountain at the intersection of Park Avenue, Fairfield Avenue and John Street, was rededicated April 20 after a long repair project that has restored the long-dormant flow of water to the fountain. The […]
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Bridgeport honors the donor of the city’s Beardsley Park with a statue near the park entrance. In 1875, Beardsley, a farmer and cattle dealer, donated more than 150 acres of land in the city’s north end for use as a park. Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect responsible for New York’s Central Park and Bridgeport’s […]
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A white concrete obelisk in Bridgeport’s Seaside Village honors residents who have served in the country’s wars. The obelisk, at the southern end of a green located near the center of the village, bears a dedication on its front (south) face reading, “Dedicated in honor of those men & women of Seaside Village who have […]
The founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was honored with a monument in Bridgeport’s Seaside Park thanks to showman and former mayor P.T. Barnum. The monument, a fountain that was later converted into a planter, was dedicated in 1897 to honor Henry Bergh’s lifelong efforts to protect animals. Bergh […]