Monumental Bronze White Bronze Manufacturer. The Monumental Bronze Company was founded in 1874 and located at the corner of Barnum and Hallett Streets on Bridgeport's East Side. M.A. Richardson and partner, C.J. Willard, had tried unsuccessfully to produce a satisfactory monument that was both pleasing to the eye in color and strong enough to withstand the ravages of time and environment. But in Bridgeport, where there were skilled craftsmen and iron foundries, the two entrepreneurs finally met with success. The bronze used in the monuments was covered with a pure zinc that developed a protective coating and then gave the monuments a light gray color, hence the name "white bronze." Demand for this style of monument was great during the post-Civil War era and this small enterprise expanded rapidly. During WWI, the US government took over plant operations to manufacture gun mounts and ammunition. After the war, the public tastes in cemetery monuments changed, product demand declined, and the company experienced some management difficulties as well. Monumental Bronze finally closed during the Depression in the 1930's.