[3]  The 1,200 veterans in attendance discussed the idea of creating a monument and chose a seven-man committee to lobby the Ohio General Assembly for funding.

Levi T. Scofield, a local veteran and successful architect, was asked to draw up designs and plans for the future structure and proposed a unique combination of the two styles – a tablet room with an obelisk.

Before this plan could be implemented, the railroad companies developing the rapidly expanding street car system in the city laid claim to the intersection.

Negotiations were then begun with the Park Commissioners of the City of Cleveland who maintained Public Square to secure the Southeast quadrant for the project.

In April 1888, The General Assembly of the State of Ohio passed House Bill 462 to create a “Board of Commissioners, to be called the Monumental Commissioners of Cuyahoga County, to be composed of twelve persons, who shall be resident electors of said county, and members of the present Monumental Committee of the Cuyahoga County.”[4] The twelve members of this building commission were:[4] In early 1890, artists, models, and other artisans began the work of designing the proposed sculptural elements under the direction of Levi T. Scofield.

Due to the fact that the State of Ohio did not complete its official roster of Civil War veterans until the mid-1890s, the names of those who served from the county had to be obtained manually.

Using the incomplete records of the Adjutant General of the State of Ohio, Elizabeth Scofield compiled preliminary lists of eligible veterans.

From 1889 to 1891, the Commission produced copies of these lists to be disseminated to Civil War veterans and Grand Army of the Republic posts for corrections and verification.

With this process complete, work on producing the marble tablets for the memorial room, made from Amherst sandstone, was begun in the latter half of 1891.

[5][3][4] The Monument Commission, wishing to break ground prior to March 1891, requested that the Cleveland Board of Park Commissioners remove the Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry statue, which sat on the site, pursuant to the act passed by the Ohio State Legislature granting them authority over the Southeast quadrant.

[4] An injunction was filed by the Monument Commission against the City of Cleveland on April 15, 1891, in the Court of Common Pleas demanding relief from the Board of Park Commissioners's efforts to stymie construction.

Judge Samuel E. Williamson joined in this suit on the side of the Park Commissioners alleging damages to the value of his nearby property which would result from the presence of the monument.

Relying on the language of the original charter for Public Square from the Connecticut Land Company, it was deemed that the Monument Commission did not need permission from the city government to commence construction.

[4] On December 2, 1892, Scofield supervised the removal of the Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry statue and turned it over to city officials whereupon it was relocated to Wade Park.

In the spring of 1893, a new city administration headed by Robert Blee, who supported the construction of the monument, finished the job in four days for a cost of $1,248.68.

President William McKinley – who spoke at the dedication of the monument – was slated to speak at the event upon his return from the Pan-American Exposition occurring in Buffalo, New York.

[3] During this period, a solution of acid was used to clean the walls of the monument, inadvertently stripping the original colors that had been painted on the stone, leaving the interior seriously altered.

Under the direction of then Monument Commission President Neil K. Evans, this money was raised from federal, state, and county sources as well as from local corporations, foundations, businesses, veterans’ groups, and private individuals.

[15] On June 19, 2019, after more than a decade of extensive research, 107 members of the United States Colored Troops were officially added to the monument's Roll of Honor with a formal ceremony.

[18] In 2017, the television show American Ninja Warrior was filmed on the newly redesigned Public Square, just outside the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

Architect Levi Scofield wished to create a structure that incorporated traditional architectural elements infused with militaristic imagery and symbolism.

[22] As part of the original designs of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, the flower beds surrounding the structure were decorated with the insignias of the corps badges used throughout the Civil War, as well as various other military imagery.

[1] The bronze statuary groupings stand atop Berea sandstone pedestals and depict scenes featuring the four branches of the armed forces at the time of the Civil War.

Above the memorial tablets on the outer walls sit a series of busts which depict notable individuals from Cuyahoga County who died as a result of their service.

[3] Upon entering the South doors, the first panel one will encounter honors the Northern Ohio Soldiers’ Aid Society & Sanitary Commission.

[21] This panel features life-sized figures of individuals including Rebecca Cromwell Rouse, a leading social-services organizer and reformer;[24] Lucy Webb Hayes, first-lady of the United States; as well as a Catholic nun, believed to be a Sister of Charity who is seen dressing the arm of a wounded man.

[1] Moving clockwise, the Beginning of the War panel depicts Ohio's three wartime governors, William Dennison Jr., David Tod, and John Brough in the center.

Behind Abraham Lincoln stand four major figures from Ohio who fought for emancipation: Joshua R. Giddings, Benjamin Wade, Salmon P. Chase, and John Sherman.

Abraham Lincoln, who stands at the center, is seen handing a union rifle to an African-American man named Dan R. Field who is seen being sworn into the Army.

[1] The Peace-Makers at City Point depicts an allegorical meeting between Abraham Lincoln and his generals and admirals discussing how the war would be brought to an end.