The Oliver Hazard Perry MonumentThe Continental Construction Company of Erie constructed this 80-foot limestone monument to Oliver Hazard Perry in 1926. Erie architect Fred Fuller designed the monument. Its cost exceeded $45,000.
A Popular DestinationThe Pennsylvania State Art Commission and a local task force built the monument on Presque Isle because it could be seen from the Erie shoreline. They believed the monument would attract visitors to Presque Isle, which was designated a state park in 1921. From 1969 to 1971, new steps, a railing and a moat were added during a $500,000 renovation. The monument remains a popular tourist sight.
Never to be ForgottenThe contributions of Perry and his determined shipbuilders will not he forgotten. With a little of Perry's Luck, this towering presence will forever stand as a fitting tribute to the heroic commander for whom it was built.
In Honor of PerryOther monuments to Perry include a 352-foot granite doric column in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and statues in both Newport, Rhode Island and downtown Erie, PA.
Did You Know?In 1977 the USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) was launched, the first in a line of 55 Perry class guided missile frigates built by the Navy.
"Nothing could intimidate, nothing
dishearten, Perry."William V. Taylor, Sailing Master of the Lawrence
Marker photo caption: The Perry Monument, Presque Isle State Park, circa 1930sPennsylvania State Archives
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