Citizens of Schuylkill County erected this tribute to Henry Clay and bequeathed it to their children as a record of gratitude for his illustrious services, which brought peace, prosperity, and glory to his country, and as a tribute of admiration for the virtues that adorned a useful life and won for his imperishable name the respect and affection of mankind. John Bannan, Esquire, preserved the ground on which it stands. The cornerstone was laid July 26, 1852, and the work was completed July 4, 1855. The building committee consisted of Samuel Sillyman, Frank Hewson, and Edward Yardley; Jacob Madara was master mason; Robert Wood moulded and cast the iron statue; George B. Fissler and Brother made the column of the same material; and Waters S. Chillson raised the statue and sections of the column into place. Henry Clay was born in Hanover County, Virginia, on April 12, 1777, and died in Washington, D.C., on June 29, 1852. It was restored by the people of Schuylkill County under the leadership of the Henry Clay Monument Committee, chaired by Steven Cotler and John C. Bryden; work began in 1983 and it was rededicated October 19, 1985.