The American Civil War Memorial pays tribute to the sacrifice made by citizens of Waterloo during the Civil War, and recognizes the soldiers from the North and the South who gave their lives in the conflict. The Civil War exacted a great toll on the American people; it was one of the most arduous times in our history when more lives were lost than in all our other wars combined.

The Memorial, designed by sculptor Pietro del Fabro of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, will be built in Lock Park along the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, part of the Erie Canal System. Pietro’s design incorporates the Memorial into the historic canal environment of Waterloo and provides a destination for visitors arriving from town, those hiking the planned recreational trails, and boaters cruising the inland waterway. The Memorial includes individual cenotaphs for each man from Waterloo who died in the Civil War and a North South Cenotaph recognizing all lives lost in the war. The North South Cenotaph will be constructed of stones sent from the 36 States which were in existence at the end of the Civil War. The central feature of the Memorial is a marble star stone set in a cedar lined enclosure with a stone portal. An eternal flame will burn near the portal. A stele on the western point of the island will mark the site for travelers arriving by water. The Memorial will have a flagpole carrying the United States flag of 1865. The flag, star stone and trees will be illuminated at night.

The townspeople of Waterloo will be involved in the creation of the Memorial. Residents will work together on the project just as Civil War citizens joined to support their soldiers. The star stone will be incised with hundreds of stars gilt with 22K gold. Townspeople will work with Pietro to create the stars using star drills and will also learn sculpting techniques that will be utilized in other aspects of the project. As part of the project, residents will landscape Lock Park with lilac and cedar plantings.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day which referred to the practice of decorating the veterans’ tombs with bouquets of lilacs. On Decoration Day morning the children of Waterloo would pick lilacs and bring them to relatives of the deceased Civil War veterans who would make bouquets and place them on the graves. In 1966, a resolution by the United States Congress and a proclamation by President Lyndon Johnson recognized Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day. The American Civil War Memorial honors the veterans of the first Memorial Day, May 5, 1866.