Winston Churchill Memorial

About this property

America’s National Churchill Museum (formerly the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in the United States) is located on the Westminster College campus in Fulton, Missouri, United States. The museum commemorates Sir Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and comprises three elements: the Church of St Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury, the museum below the church, and the adjacent Breakthrough sculpture. The central element of America’s National Churchill Museum is the Church of St. Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury, a 17th-century church moved stone-by-stone to Fulton from its former location in London, England. Beneath the church is the Churchill museum, renovated in 2006. Its exhibits tell Churchill's story, discussing his personal and political life and his legacy. Additionally, the Clementine Spencer-Churchill Reading Room houses an extensive research collection about Churchill. Outside the church stands the Breakthrough sculpture, formed from eight sections of the Berlin Wall. Churchill's granddaughter, artist Edwina Sandys, designed the sculpture to commemorate both the "Sinews of Peace" speech and the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1946, the president of Westminster College, Franc McCluer, reached out to a member of United States President Harry S Truman's administration, Major General Harry H. Vaughan, a Westminster College alumnus. He arranged for Truman to visit the college, and to invite Winston Churchill to speak there. Churchill accepted the invitation, and on March 5, 1946, delivered his famous "Sinews of Peace" address, also known as the "Iron Curtain" speech, as a part of the John Findley Green Foundation Lecture series. Truman introduced him. Today, visitors to the museum may view filmed selections of the speech. The lectern and chair that Churchill used are on display in the museum. == Churchill's Living Memorial: St. Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury == In 1961, Westminster College President Dr. Robert L. D. Davidson began formulating a plan to commemorate both Winston Churchill's life and the "Sinews of Peace." A LIFE magazine feature on war-ravaged, soon-to-be-demolished Christopher Wren churches in London prompted the suggestion to import one of the churches to serve as both a memorial and the College chapel. After further investigation, college officials selected St. Mary, Aldermanbury as the church to be relocated to the college. St. Mary, Aldermanbury was chosen because of its relatively small size and its nearly 1,000-year history. Founded in the late 12th century, the church survived the English Reformation, English Restoration, and numerous civil wars. However, on September 2, 1666, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. With approval for rebuilding granted in 1670, architect Christopher Wren began renovating the church in 1672. He rebuilt the church on part of the old foundation with as many of the original stones as could be salvaged. By 1677, the work was essentially complete; the cupola was added to the tower in 1679.

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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