Soldier & Sailor Memorial

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument began as a way for Middletown to honor its veterans of the Civil War. In May of 1895, the trustees of Woodside Cemetery donated a triangular piece of land for the burial of soldiers and the site for a monument. The lot was dedicated and turned over to trustees - Joseph R. Allen, James Lawrence, and Henry Knight - for the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and veterans (Civil War veterans).

At the dedication of the ground, Paul J. Sorg, a congressman from Middletown, challenged the community to raise the funds and local farmers to haul their finest boulders to the site on wagons. He promised that if the citizens would do their part, he would buy a bronze figure to be put on it. So in 1895, the process of raising funds began.

Working with Woodside's Board, Sorg secured the services of a man who would become a world famous architect, Frank Mills Andrews, to design the monument. Mr. Andrews also designed buildings for NCR, Dayton, hotels, state capitol buildings, and other famous structures throughout the world.

Since the raising of funds for the monument locally was slow and since Hamilton wanted to erect a monument on the site of old Fort Hamilton, it was decided to pass a countywide bond issue for both patriotic projects.

Middletown's Soldiers monument cost $7,358, and Paul Sorg, as promised, donated $3,000 for the bronze statue.

A special dedication program was held at the Sorg Opera House on December 17, 1902. On stager were members of the GAR, and there was a program of prayer, singing, and speech making. After the program, a parade was formed and citizens again assembled at Woodside at the completed monument. Miss Ada Sorg, speaking for her now deceased father, unveiled the monument, dedicating it in honor of the brave veterans who served the country.