42 feet tall, it is made from three different types of granite from Barre, Vermont; Quincy, Massachusetts; and Westerly, Rhode Island.

It was constructed by the Mitchell Granite Company of Quincy (which built many a stone Civil War memorial in Massachusetts) and dedicated on June 17, 1887.

[1] The primary inscription reads, “In grateful remembrance of the Soldiers of Arlington who gave their lives to their country in the war for the defense of the Union 1861-1865.” Thirty three people are listed along with their place of death.

The memorial by architects Van Brunt and Howe contains elements of Beaux Artes and Richardson Romanesque styles.

Four lion faces are beneath the pillars with the entire mass resting on a circular base of granite blocks.