Washington Park, bounded by Main, Pearl, Locust and Silver, Centralia, Washington. County/parish: Lewis.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places December 17, 1991. NRIS 91001782.
Part of Centralia Armistice Day, 1919 MPS (NRIS 64500698).
1 contributing object.
The Sentinel is a bronze sculpture of an American soldier and is centrally located in George Washington Park in Centralia, Washington. The statue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The artwork is a memorial to the four members of the American Legion who lost their lives during the November 11, 1919 Armistice Day Riot, also known as the Centralia Massacre and the Centralia Tragedy.
Created by Seattle-based artist Alonzo Victor Lewis on behest of the local Centralia citizens and the American Legion, the bronze sculpture was completed and dedicated in 1924. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries and a crowd was estimated as approximately 10,000 people; prominent national and international figures sent messages of appreciation.
Though the artwork is both a sense of pride and divisiveness due to the nature of the violence and differing historical accounts of the Centralia Tragedy, the Sentinel is considered to be in good condition, requiring only one notable restoration effort in 2023. The piece is often graffitied, requiring occasional cleaning to remove the vandalization.
The Sentinel shares space with several other memorials in George Washington Park, including the Freedom Walk War Memorial, honoring Lewis County veterans who were killed in wars and military engagements since World War I and monuments to the role and versions of the Industrial Workers of the World in the tragedy. Additionally, a variety of works noting various historical events or notable people surround the statue, such as plaques for the city's founder, George Washington, a Bill Clinton 1996 presidential campaign stop in the city, and a September 11, 2001 memorial.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75611300