Description:
The Banning and Rowe Monument in East Hartland Cemetery memorializes John F. Banning
and Rodolphus D. Rowe, brother-in-laws from Hartland who enlisted in the 16th
Connecticut Infantry. In Plymouth, South Carolina, both men were taken as POWs to Andersonville and died in 1864. While neither Banning nor Rowe are buried in Hartland, the obelisk is a reminder of their service and ties to the town. The obelisk's Banning side includes a shield and crossed bayonets carving, while Rowe's side features an eagle. Much is unknown about the statue's conception and the creator; however, Emily Lucretia Banning Rowe, Rowe's widow and Banning's sister, may have played a role in erecting the monument due to her relation to both men and the last line of Rowe's inscription characterizing him as a "beloved husband."
