Franklin Simmons and His Civil War Monuments

Abstract

Franklin Simmons was a Maine sculptor who achieved national prominence for his Civil War monuments. Simmons' work in Maine earned him the opportunity to create numerous monuments in Washington, D. C. In this article Martha R. Severens reviews the sculptor's life and work and provides insight into a unique style that inspired other sculptors across the Northeast. Ms. Severens, curator at the Greenville (SC) County Museum of Art, has published volumes on the Museum's Southern Collection and on Andrew Wyeth. Previously, she held similar positions at the Portland Museum of Art and the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC.