- (November 2007) KEARNY, N.J. - More than 70 years after the statue of a Union infantryman was taken down outside a solders' home in Kearny, a small band of preservationists erected a bronze replica in ceremonies Sept. 29 that drew 50 reenactors and about 250 spectators.

The new bronze figure replaces the original zinc and white metal statue that stood outside the New Jersey Home for Disabled Soldiers and Sailors for nearly half a century, from 1888 until the facility closed in 1933.

The six-member Gen. Phil Kearny Memorial Committee, led by Civil War historian and author Bill Styple, raised $35,000 for the replacement.

"I thought it was important to mark the site where the state of New Jersey had its Civil War soldiers' home," Styple explained.

Styple found the badly damaged statue in 1997, tucked in storage at the National Guard Armory in West Orange. It was brittle and cracked and was missing such pieces as the left hand, part of an arm, musket and accoutrements. Molds were made of the remaining pieces and were created for missing parts. Styple's hand, his 1863 Springfield and other items stood in for the originals.

The replica is positioned across the street from the original location, standing atop a 7-ton boulder from Gettysburg between the present VFW and American Legion halls. The two structures are all that remain of the home's original 10 buildings on Belgrove Drive.

Among those participating in the dedication was Krystyna Karolasz, whose son was killed in Iraq two years ago. She unveiled the statue. Kearny Mayor Al Santos told the crowd that the town was proud that so many Civil War veterans had found a home in Kearny.

Styple said afterward, "It was a beautiful day. Everyone was really happy with the statue. It looks great."

The soldiers' home, on 16 acres fronting the Passaic River, opened in 1888. The 6-foot statue was placed near the entrance, and Styple noted that the Civil War veterans, along with local citizens, gathered there every Memorial Day for ceremonies.

"Twenty-five thousand Civil War veterans passed through the home," Styple said. "They spent their final years there. The monument was really placed in memory of their comrades who didn't return - they didn't put it up to themselves."

According to Styple, New Jersey was the first state to establish a veterans' home, in July 1865. When it proved too small two decades later, a new site was chosen overlooking the river. When the new facility opened in 1888 there were 276 uniformed veterans in residence, according to Styple.

When the facility closed nearly half a century later, there were 13 surviving Union veterans. They were transferred to a new facility in Menlo Park, most of the home's buildings were demolished, and the state deeded the property to Kearny for recreation and veterans' facilities. Where the original statue was sited is now baseball fields.

Styple said that by next spring a wayside marker will tell the history of the soldiers' home. The location has never been marked. The remains of the 1888 statue will be displayed indoors in the town museum.

"The veterans became a part of our community here," Styple said. "The kids of the town would go up on the porch and listen to tales of the battles of Gettysburg and Antietam. My mother and father, when they were kids, would remember the veterans. When I saw that statue sitting in storage I thought, 'Well, we can't just let it lie.'"

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