Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial
As we continued driving west on our family road trip in 1995, we boarded a boat on Lake Erie and crossed the water to the Perry’s Victory and International Peak Memorial. Reaching this site by water made visiting it more intentional and part of the story.
Rising from South Bass Island is this 352-foot granite column that is impossible to miss. It stands like a lighthouse of history reminding us that this was once a naval landscape where control of the water meant control of the future.
The memorial commemorates Oliver Hazard Perry and his decisive victory at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812, Perry’s famous words: “We have met the enemy and they are ours” marked a turning point that secured American control of Lake Erie and helped protect the western frontier.
In 1919, Congress authorized the creation of Perry’s Victory National Monument in response to veteran’s groups advocating for a memorial. The legislation was signed into law by Woodrow Wilson, officially placing the site under federal protection. The monument’s grand column was completed and dedicated in 1931.
In addition to marking a military success, this site also celebrates the lasting peace between the United States, Great Britain and Canada. Inside the rotunda, the remains of American and British sailors are interred together. The name for the memorial was later changed to: Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.
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