Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing Montsec Monument, Butte Montsec, Montsec, Departement de la Meuse (France), FR St Mihiel Memorial

[ Data Pages from Survey HABS US-3  ]

About this Item

Title

  • Montsec Monument, Butte Montsec, Montsec, Departement de la Meuse (France), FR

Other Title

  • St Mihiel Memorial

Names

  • Historic American Buildings Survey, creator
  • Swartwout, Egerton
  • Cret, Paul Philippe
  • U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA)
  • U.S. Department of War
  • U.S. American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
  • Lahalle & Levard
  • Lahalle, Pierre
  • Levard, George
  • Fevre & Cie
  • Menconi, R. E.
  • Susse Freres
  • M. Umilta
  • Loyau, Marcel
  • Fraser, James E.
  • L. Pare
  • G. Lechevallier-Chevignard
  • Certoux, Charles
  • Dumont & Besson
  • Fevre & Co
  • Grenet
  • E. Laperlier
  • Service des Ponts & Chaussees
  • Ste. des Marbres, Pierres & Granits
  • Ste. Routiere Colas
  • H. Rouard
  • John E. Lingo & Son
  • Lavoie, Catherine C., historian
  • Davidson, Lisa Pfueller, historian
  • American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), sponsor
  • McPartland, Mary, transmitter

Created / Published

  • Documentation compiled after 1933

Headings

  • -  architectural sculpture
  • -  war (World War I)
  • -  monuments & memorials
  • -  Neo-Classical architectural elements
  • -  colonnades
  • -  Art Moderne architectural elements
  • -  commemoration
  • -  France--Departement De La Meuse (France)--Montsec

Latitude / Longitude

  • 48.889373,5.712634

Notes

  • -  Significance: Montsec Monument was built between 1929 and 1932 under the auspices of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) as one of three "commemorative" monuments to World War I. It honors the services of the American Expeditionary Forces and the French Army in the critical operations of the St. Mihiel region, second only to Meuse-Argonne in importance to American involvement. It commemorates the AEF's First Army in the reduction of the St. Mihiel Salient during September 12-16, 1918 and the operation of the Second Army in this area during November 9-11, 1918, as well as other divisions that assisted in the offensives here and in Alsace and Lorraine to liberate nearby towns and villages. Montsec Monument represents the ABMC’s use of classically inspired architecture to place America's World War I battle victories in the context of important events in world history and to employ architecture as a symbol of international diplomacy abroad. It was designed by New York architect Egerton Swartwout (1872-1944). Swartwout was by the time of his ABMC commission an accomplished architect, recognized for his Beaux Arts and Neoclassical designs for civic buildings and memorials. At Montsec, Swartwout created an open circular peristyle temple reminiscent of the Greek Tholos of classical antiquity. In keeping with ABMC's architectural program, however, Montsec exhibits elements of both classical and modern design; it was clearly based on classical antecedents and yet has a contemporary flare to include stylized representations of military garb and American eagles, as well as other modern influenced iconography. Montsec is distinguished by its fairly unusual double colonnade, with columns in a traditional Doric order to the exterior and free-standing piers with column capitals replaced by stylized eagles clutching unit insignias to the interior. Its circular configuration harkens back to ancient prototypes such as the Athenian Tholos of Delphi and the Roman Temple of Vesta, while its double colonnade can be compared with the Athenian Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis. Likewise, its limestone exterior belies its modern structural-concrete core. Montsec enjoys a dramatic 1,230' high hilltop setting, one that Swartwout likened to the eminently defensible Grecian Acropolis. The site at Montsec likewise served historically as a defensive fortification and lookout, last used as such by the German Army during World War I, with remnants of their shelters and trenches remaining. Montsec Monument was part of a larger program of commemoration established by the ABMC and led by Chairman General John J. Pershing and Consulting Architect Paul Philippe Cret, along with the Commission of Fine Arts. The program called for three large "commemorative" monuments and eight more modest "historical" monuments that together honor American participation in World War I, along with eight overseas cemeteries with memorial chapels. The commemorative monuments mark the sites of the largest and most decisive American battles while the historical monuments honor important but less crucial campaign areas, those executed under allied command, and those providing naval and supply services to demonstrate America's widespread influence. The first major offensive carried out under American operational control took place at St. Mihiel beginning September 12, 1918. Here the Germans held strong defensive positions, with excellent observation points on the prominent hills of Montsec and Loupmont, strengthened by an elaborate system of trenches, barbed-wire entanglements, concrete shelters and machine gun placements. Since 1914 the German position formed a salient that French forces had been unable to reduce, and also permitted the Germans to secure industrial areas of France to the north and east. A two-pronged offensive was planned, with Allied forces driving against the southern and western faces of the German salient. The offensive involved more than 550,000 American and 110,000 French troops. Reduction of the salient secured the flanks of an Allied offensive north towards Sedan through the Meuse-Argonne and finally to Armistice on November 11, 1918. Most of the towns involved in the battles of the St. Mihiel region can be observed from the butte of Montsec, where the monument is located.
  • -  Survey number: HABS US-3
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1929-1932 Initial Construction
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1948 Subsequent Work
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1958 Subsequent Work

Medium

  • Data Page(s): 82

Call Number/Physical Location

  • HABS US-3

Source Collection

  • Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

Repository

Control Number

  • us0015

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • pdf

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material.

Ultimately, it is the researcher's obligation to assess copyright or other use restrictions and obtain permission from third parties when necessary before publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscape Survey (HABS/HAER/HALS) Collection - Rights and Restrictions Information

Obtaining Copies

If Digital Images Are Displaying

You can download online images yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

HABS/HAER/HALS materials have generally been scanned at high resolution that is suitable for most publication purposes (see Digitizing the Collection for further details about the digital images).

  • Photographs--All photographs are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Call Number and Item Number that appear under the photograph in the multiple-image display (e.g., HAER, NY,52-BRIG,4-2).
    • If possible, include a printout of the photograph.
  • Drawings--All drawings are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Survey Number (e.g., HAER NY - 143) and Sheet Number (e.g., "Sheet 1 of 4"), which appear on the edge of the drawing. (NOTE: These numbers are visible in the Tiff "Reference Image" display.)
    • If possible, include a printout of the drawing.
  • Data Pages
    • Make note of the Call Number in the catalog record.

If Digital Images Are Not Displaying

In the rare case that a digital image for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is not displaying online, select images for reproduction through one of these methods:

  • Visit the Prints & Photographs Reading Room and request to view the group (general information about service in the reading room is available at: https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/info/001_ref.html). It is best to contact reference staff in advance (see: https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/address.html) to make sure the material is on site. OR
  • P&P reading room staff can provide up to 15 quick copies of items per calendar year (many original items in the holdings are too old or fragile to make such copies, but generally HABS/HAER/HALS materials are in good enough condition to be placed on photocopy machines). For assistance, see our Ask a Librarian page OR
  • Hire a freelance researcher to do further selection for you (a list of researchers in available at: https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/resource/013_pic.html).
  • You can purchase copies of various types, including quick copies, through Library of Congress Duplication Services (price lists, contact information, and order forms for Library of Congress Duplication Services are available on the Duplication Services Web site):
    • Make note of the Call Number listed above.
    • Look at the Medium field above. If it lists more than one item:
      • The entire group can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
      • All the items in a particular medium (e.g., all drawings, all photographs) can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.

  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, Egerton Swartwout, Paul Philippe Cret, U.S. Commission Of Fine Arts, U.S. Department Of War, U.S. American Expeditionary Forces, Lahalle & Levard, et al. Montsec Monument, Butte Montsec, Montsec, Departement de la Meuse France, FR. Departement De La Meuse Montsec France, 1933. translateds by Mcpartland, Marymitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/us0015/.

APA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, C., Swartwout, E., Cret, P. P., U.S. Commission Of Fine Arts, U.S. Department Of War, U.S. American Expeditionary Forces [...] American Battle Monuments Commission, S. (1933) Montsec Monument, Butte Montsec, Montsec, Departement de la Meuse France, FR. Departement De La Meuse Montsec France, 1933. McPartland, M., trans Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/us0015/.

MLA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, et al. Montsec Monument, Butte Montsec, Montsec, Departement de la Meuse France, FR. trans by Mcpartland, Marymitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/us0015/>.