1/23/2024 0 Comments Peace arch park![]() ![]() The Canadian portion of Peace Arch Park was officially dedicated in 1939. School children from both sides of the border participated in fundraising to acquire additional park land to enhance the setting of the Peace Arch. The Peace Arch is valued for its setting within the Peace Arch Provincial Park in Canada and Peace Arch State Park in the United States, symbolic of the good will between the two countries, who have jointly undertaken planning and development of the park. Corbett's firm was one of three that were teamed together to design Rockefeller Centre in New York. A graduate of the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Corbett's practice was based in New York City and he is credited with the design of some of that city's more prominent commissions, including several early skyscrapers. ![]() The Peace Arch is also valued for its association with famed American architect, Harvey Wiley Corbett (1873-1954), who donated the design. It is believed to be one of the first structures in North America designed to be earthquake resistant. A massive example of reinforced concrete construction, the Arch stands over twenty metres high and seventeen metres wide. Also significant is the design and construction of the Peace Arch structure. Beaver" on the Canadian side and the "Mayflower" on the American side wooden relics from each ship were originally sealed behind each plaque. Mounted on the exterior walls are bronze plaques to two famous ships, the Hudson's Bay Company "S.S. References to the peaceful ties between the two countries are an integral part of the architecture. The colour of the paint, pure white, symbolizes peace. Mouldings and ornamentation are over-scaled, intended to be viewed from a distance. Two huge piers support a monumental pediment. Massive in scale, the Arch dominates the view. ![]() The design is based on the classical Doric Order. The significance of the Peace Arch also lies in its architectural symbolism. Completed in 1920, the Arch is located diagonally on the border with one pylon support in each country. Permission to build the Arch had to be received from both Canadian and American authorities. Bassett acted as the lead contractor and E.W. Todd, credited with the idea for the monument and Robert Pim Butchart, who operated a quarry on Vancouver Island and donated construction materials. ![]() The main proponents included Canadians Albert E. Hill's friends and supporters from both nations donated their services. The Peace Arch is significant for demonstrating cooperation in commemorating over a century of peace between the two countries. The First World War delayed his efforts, but after Armistice he pursued the idea as part of his road-building schemes for the Pacific Northwest. The last hostilities between Canada and the United States ended in 1814 with the Treaty of Ghent, and Hill sought to commemorate that event with an appropriate public memorial. As a Quaker and humanitarian, Hill was an ardent advocate of peace. The Peace Arch is significant for its association with Samuel Hill, American millionaire and founder of the Washington State Good Roads Association and the Pacific Highway Association. The Peace Arch is valued as a symbol of the peaceful co-existence of two nations and marks the western edge of the longest undefended border in the world. The Peace Arch is a monumental white-painted concrete arch located on the Canadian and American border on the 49th Parallel, between Surrey, British Columbia and Blaine, Washington. ![]()
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