Mohawk Honor Roll - Resurrected - Completed Projects

Posted September 23, 201014 yr

I wasnt sure if this was the right location for this topic but I figured it was close enough.

Years after my Grandfather passed away, it was difficult for my Grandmother to reminisce about him without touching on his passion for life, love for his family, his time serving during WWII, and his deeply rooted pride for the City of Cincinnati. On more than one memorable occasion, however, she would touch on something else... something that i never really understood. I had almost no idea what she was talking about but it always stuck with me the way it stirred her emotions. She was talking about the Mohawk Honor Roll veterans monument and its pathetic condition. My grandfather grew up in Mohawk, and because of his service during WWII was immortalized along with 600 plus other members of the neighborhood. Their names cast into bronze plaques that hung on the humble yet imposing brick monument at the corner of Ravine and McMicken. At least so they thought.

Time has not been kind to the Mohawk Honor Roll. Vandalism and decay rendered the monument faceless for decades. My father recently took interest in trying to restore the monument, and before long he became aware of similar interest by Mike Kirchgessner. Through efforts of his own, Mike has been raising funds and assembling a team of volunteer professionals to execute the restoration. The initial plan was to restore the existing monument. By reworking the masonry veneer and replacing the original bronze plaques with embedded granite panels, we hoped to return the structure to its original glory. However, upon further investigation, 60 years of neglect and deterioration rendered the original construction unstable and unsafe. With heavy hearts, it was decided the original monument needed to be completely dismantled.

Countless volunteers have been involved with the demolition work and local masons will donate their time and resources in the completion of the new monument. Donations have been made in the form of masonry material, concrete, re-bar, block, demolition work, and the polished granite panels which which will permanently display all 600 some names. We hoped to be able to use as many of the original decorative pieces and name panels as we could, but their condition is such that using them in the new monument would be too risky. Hopefully these components will see new life in some other way.

The story was picked up early this week by the Enquirer and then a very well done piece was aired on the Fox19 news which i have posted and linked below. You can see preliminary design imagery for the new monument if you watch the news cast video. Weve done the best we can to replicate the spirit of the original art deco design with the resources and materials we have at our disposal.

This isnt the biggest project going on in the City, but i think its an important one. What strikes me as simply unbelievable is that more than 600 young men and woman left their lives behind to fight for our freedom from a single neighborhood, and the pride that invoked in its residents to build such a tribute to their service.

I intend to post pictures of progress as it occurs. Hopefully there are forum members out there with interest in this project or even have friends or relatives whose names are one of the 600. Please share if you do! There will be a re dedication at some point following completion.

Thanks,

Chris

WWII Mohawk Honor Roll to be restored.

By Stefano DiPietrantonio

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - A little-known Cincinnati monument, that has weathered years of abuse from mother nature, car accidents and vandals, is getting a re-birth of sorts.

http://www.kyohxtreme.com/mohawk_honor_roll.htm

Article and Video: http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=13187902

Note: Edited to comply with copyright. Cannot post full stories from newspapers or other news outlets.

September 23, 201014 yr

This is great news! I really enjoyed the article, and the video.

I have a huge interest in all things in the Mohawk area. My family owned two houses on Mohawk Street for almost 100 years up until the 1940's. I know my uncle, who grew up on Mohawk Street, was at Pearl Harbor and survived, but I am not sure if his name is on the memorial. Is there a list of the names available?

May 30, 201114 yr

Mohawk Honor Roll needs donations

11:23 PM, May. 27, 2011 |

Cliff Radel

In the midst of a holiday weekend dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers, the unfinished Mohawk Honor Roll stands shrouded in plastic sheets and stymied by too much rain and too little cash.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110527/NEWS01/105280337/Mohawk-Honor-Roll-needs-donations

October 4, 201113 yr

On Veterans Day Friday 11/11/11 we will be dedicating the rebuilt Mohawk Honor Roll War Memorial. The original Mohawk Honor Roll was dedicated on 11/18/1945 honoring 607 WW II Veterans men and women from the Mohawk Neighborhood. Over the decades the monument has been vandalized, become structurally unsafe and the names removed. The names are safely engraved on granite on the new monument.

The... rededication ceremony and Military Memorial Service will start at 2:00. Bishop Binzer from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Bagpipes from the Hamilton County Sheriffs office, Chambers Hauptmann Budde Post Honor Guard, Military and political dignitaries in addition to surviving Mohawk Veterans with their families will be in attendance. All WW II Veterans, families of the Mohawk Veterans, military service organizations, and members of the Cincinnati community are invited.

The memorial is located at the corner of Ravine Street and W. McMicken one block up the Ravine Street hill from Central Parkway. A reception will be held after the event at the Philippus Church of Christ on W. McMicken for those participating in the ceremony, honored WWII Veterans and invited guests.

This is a project I have been working on for the last 5 years and were just about done!!!!

Mike Kirchgessner

President

Mohawk Memorial Fund

513-377-2988

October 4, 201113 yr

This is a project I have been working on for the last 5 years and were just about done!!!!

Congratulations! Thanks for the good work, this is great news.

October 4, 201113 yr

cool

it was sad seeing this memorial deteriorate over the years.

October 4, 201113 yr

Well it took me long enough but I finally found time to upload some images of the progress. Like mkirchy said, this project has been a long time coming and finally we are making tangible progress. Additional work has been completed since this photo set including hanging all of the granite name panels. All thats left at this point is to complete the brick cladding and site work.

Original Monument and Site. Included in the restoration effort is improving site access and repairing the stone retaining walls.

Original Cast Concrete details. Bronze plates listing the 600 plus men (and now accounting for women) graced the 5 visible brick faces but have long since been stolen

The goal was to simply reclad the existing monument, but further Investigation validated concerns that the structural integrity had been compromised and we had no choice but to start over.

We hoped to be able to integrate some of the original detail in the new construction, but given the age and condition of these concrete pieces, we decided that wasnt necessarily a good idea. Hopefully we can find a way to incorporate them back into the site somehow.

Demoed foundation

Rebirth

Weather has not been on our side

She's a big one

Starting the Brickwork

Name Panels (Donated granite panels are rejected samples from QCS)

One element that we will be able to reuse is the original flag pole

Restored flagpole

Final design (god bless you, sketchup)

The outpouring of support, via material donations and man hours has been nothing short of phenominal. We would be nowhere if it werent for the numerous local companies that have stepped up to the plate contributing invalueble resources... though, we are still seeking monetary donations to cover accumulated expenses.

More to follow!