Equestrian statue of George Meade (Philadelphia)
Major General George Gordon Meade is honored by an equestrian statue in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. It was unveiled in 1887 and designed by sculptor Alexander Milne Calder to commemorate Meade’s Civil War leadership and his later role as a Fairmount Park commissioner.
Funding for the memorial faced early difficulties, but a group of 119 women formed the Meade Memorial Women’s Auxiliary Committee and raised most of the money. Calder was chosen in 1881 after a competition. The statue was cast in New York by the Henry Bonnard foundry, using bronze partly made from metal captured from Confederate cannons. Calder’s first large bronze work, he was paid $25,000.
The statue was placed in Fairmount Park at the request of Meade’s family, rather than in front of City Hall. It was dedicated on October 18, 1887, in a ceremony attended by thousands of spectators, including former Union officers and Philadelphia officials.
Description: The monument shows Meade in military uniform on a horse. He holds the reins in his left hand and his hat in his right, with a sword by his side. The horse was modeled after Old Baldy. The bronze statue sits on a granite pedestal, and together the monument stands about 23.5 feet tall.
Location and context: The statue stands in West Fairmount Park, on Lansdowne Drive north of Memorial Hall, facing Laurel Hill Cemetery where Meade is buried. There is another Meade statue nearby as part of the Smith Memorial Arch.
Preservation: Over the years the statue has faced vandalism and neglect, and there have been attempts to relocate it closer to City Hall. It was surveyed in 1993 for the Save Outdoor Sculpture program and remains in Fairmount Park.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:12 (CET).