Author: admin

Monumental History, National Mall

Korean War Veterans Memorial

“The Korean War: No Victors, No Vanquished.”

South and east of the Lincoln Memorial, next to Daniel French Dr. and Independence Ave., is one of the most well-known war memorials in Washington, D.C. Few memorials are imbued with as much humanity as the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Nineteen stainless steel soldiers march in formation in a triangular park. To their south is a wall of black granite with photographic images sandblasted onto its surface. At the eastern end of the park is the Pool of Remembrance. On the northern edge is the United Nations Wall, listing the 22 UN member nations that sent soldiers to Korea.

aerial_view_of_korean_war_veterans_memorial

 

Continue reading “Korean War Veterans Memorial”

admin
Allegorical Figures, Monumental History, National Mall

John Ericsson

“Now comes the reign of iron.”

Less than 1,000 feet south of the Lincoln Memorial at the southern terminus of 23rd St is a forgotten monument honoring the memory of the inventor of the USS Monitor, America’s first ironclad warship. Sitting on a tear-drop-shaped traffic island, John Ericsson’s memorial is cut off from pedestrians and tourists by traffic coming into and out of Arlington.

john_ericsson_xylography_1878

Continue reading “John Ericsson”

admin1 Comment
Monumental History, Uncategorized

National Capitol Columns

“We have built no temple but the Capitol. We consult no common oracle but the Constitution.”

On a grassy hilltop on the grounds of the National Arboretum stand 22 stately Corinthian columns. They originally stood at the East Portico – the covered entrance – to the Capitol building, where they witnessed the inauguration of 27 Presidents. Reminiscent of the ruins of ancient Persepolis or a forgotten Roman temple, they are an elegant reminder of the history of Washington, D.C., and the changes that have shaped the city.

national_capitol_columns_-_washington_d-c

Continue reading “National Capitol Columns”

admin
International Figures, Libertadores, Monumental History

Benito Juárez

“Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.”

Standing in front of the Watergate Hotel and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia is the statue of one of the most prominent leaders in Mexican history – Benito Juárez. Facing north, with a stand of trees behind it, the visage of the statue is often shaded and overlooked. Add to that its distance from the National Mall and it’s easy to understand why few know of its existence.

Dedicated in 1969 in a ceremony attended by U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Mexican Foreign Minister Antonio Carrillo Flores, the statue was a gift from Mexico in exchange for a statue of Abraham Lincoln that the U.S. had given to the Mexican government in 1966.

juarez-3

Continue reading “Benito Juárez”

admin
Allegorical Figures, American Leaders, Monumental History, National Mall

Lincoln Memorial

“This Memorial is less for Abraham Lincoln than those of us today, and for those who follow after.”

The Lincoln Memorial is the most visited monument in Washington, D.C. According to the National Park Service statistics, nearly 8 million people visited the memorial in 2015. The site is open to the public all day, every day, and it is rare to see it without any visitors. Thousands of drivers pass it every day coming to or from Arlington or West Potomac Park.

Plans for the construction of a monument to Lincoln began less than three years after his death. Clark Mills – the sculptor of the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Park and George Washington’s at Washington Circle – was chosen for the task. His design called for a monument 70 feet high with 36 bronze sculptures, including six equestrian statues. At the top would have been Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation. The monument, which would have stood next to the Capitol, was never made due to a lack of funds.

Continue reading “Lincoln Memorial”

admin1 Comment
American Leaders, Monumental History

Daniel Webster

“Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable.”

West of Scott Circle, in a small park bound by Bataan Street and Massachusetts and Rhode Island Avenues, stands the monument to Daniel Webster – who may be the most famous orator Senator in U.S. history. Traffic teems on all sides of the monument but few remember him for more than being the protagonist of the short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster.”

danielwebster_ca1847_whipple_2403624668-crop

Continue reading “Daniel Webster”

admin1 Comment
International Figures, Monumental History

Samuel Hahnemann

“The physician’s highest calling, his only calling, is to make sick people healthy.”

In a triangular park on the east side of Scott Circle is one of the least known and most beautiful monuments in Washington. Bounded by Corregidor Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Rhode Island Avenue, the bronze statue of Hahnemann – the progenitor of homeopathy – faces west toward the monuments to General Winfield Scott and Daniel Webster.

samuel_hahnemann_monument_dedication
Dedication of the Hahnemann Monument

Continue reading “Samuel Hahnemann”

admin1 Comment
Allegorical Figures, Monumental History

Civil War Monuments

“Death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold.”

Most prominent among the statuary found around Washington are those of Civil War generals. Of the 18 grouped together by the National Register of Historic Places, half of them are equestrian statues. Only three of the non-equestrian statues are dedicated to a single individual. Not included on the list – but more than worthy of inclusion – is the African American Civil War Memorial that was completed 70 years after the last memorial was built.

scott-1

Ten of the 18 monuments had dedication ceremonies that were attended by sitting presidents; three didn’t even have a ceremony. The first was dedicated in 1874 (nine years after the end of the war) and the last (before the African American Civil War Memorial was built) was dedicated in 1927. Read more for quick facts about these 19 monuments. Continue reading “Civil War Monuments”

admin