Proposed in 1990 and completed in 1994, the Bowdoin War memorial remembers the 111 Bowdoin alumni who fought and served for the United States in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. A refuge from the busy day-to-day campus life, the small granite memorial sits on the side of the path running between Hubbard Hall and Gibson Music Hall. Purposely placed in line with the flagpole and Memorial Hall, the War Memorial gives a quiet place of reflection for all three commemorative spaces. 

Form and functionality were on the forefront of the Memorial Committees when considering what they wanted the memorial to be: 

“It is the Memorial Committee’s feeling that the Memorial should be so located and constructed that it will be an important and central part of the campus and its life. It might well contain benches for seating. It might be depressed, or tree-shaded. It should be a spot for reflection, but not a somber or funeral area. Those who use our campus should be at home in visiting, or passing by, the Memorial. Its physical design should encourage its use as a place of rest, of gathering, and both physical and mental comfort.” 

Bowdoin War Memorial

In its actuality, the War Memorial lived up to the expectation of the Memorial Committee, all thanks to its smart design. The memorial is a humble monument. Rather than standing in ones’ line of sight to attract attention, the self-effacing memorial sits below the line of sight, attracting visitors via its functional bench. In offering visitors a seat, the monument automatically surrenders its authority, creating a zone of emotional truce around the area. Still sitting, viewers can comfortably read the memorials inscriptions while resting their legs. The bench also allows the memorial to be a place of gathering for any number of people: loved ones looking to mourn their loss, students seeking a place of refuge in their busy day, pedestrians intrigued by the granite slabs.

The enclosed nature of the memorial with its three granite walls and one bench separate the space from the surrounding area, creating a sense of privacy and safety—mental comfort. Still, the low height of the walls ensures continuity with the landscape and allows visitors to look out across the quad to the other monuments in their purview. 

Wall of memorial

Both the War Memorial and the flagpole use granite as their primary building material. In doing so, visitors automatically draw a connection between the two monuments, seeing one as a continuation of the other’s story. Additionally, granite adds to the serenity of the memorial. The light gray stone evokes calm energy, conducive to reflection.

Dense yew and periwinkle surround the monument, tying the granite blocks to the surrounding landscape. The plants add to the narrative, with the yew representing death and resurrection and periwinkle flowers linked to memories, sentimental love, and serenity.