This memorial honors the American naval victory at Plattsburgh in September 1814 and the heroism of Commodore Thomas Macdonough in the naval battle of September 11, 1814. Designed by John Russell Pope, it stands in the park opposite Plattsburgh City Hall, which Pope also designed. The obelisk, Pope’s first design, has a base 14 feet square, is topped by a bronze eagle with a 22-foot wingspan, and bears near its base the names of Macdonough’s principal vessels: Saratoga, Ticonderoga, Eagle, and Preble. Pope chose Indiana limestone for both the monument and City Hall, and his New York City firm, established in 1900, was known for dignified architecture of classical inspiration. A monument honoring the Battle of Plattsburgh had first been proposed in 1886, and funding appropriated by New York State during the centennial celebration and matched by the federal government finally made it possible. The formal dedication took place on August 18, 1926, when Secretary of State Frank Kellogg addressed a crowd estimated at 7,000 people in front of City Hall, the Plattsburgh Centenary Commission published a booklet, and a Macdonough descendant expressed gratitude. The 11-year-old Isabelle Agnes Macdonough, great-granddaughter of Thomas Macdonough, unveiled it that day, and she returned on September 9, 2001, with Mayor Dan Stewart to cut a ceremonial ribbon marking the monument’s 75th birthday.
