In 1881, Hartford offered cash prizes in a contest to design a Civil War memorial arch. The town�s leading architect at the time, George Keller, abstained from the competition, but after all other entries were deemed economically unfeasible, he was finally awarded the commission. In 1886, Keller�s Gothic Revival memorial arch was dedicated in honor of the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the war, becoming the first permanent triumphal arch in the country.
