United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Congressional and Legislative Affairs

A Veterans' Guide to Washington, D.C.

MONUMENTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO VETERANS

flagbar.gif

"A Veterans' Guide to Washington, D.C." is a page designed to inform veterans, their families, the public, and others about the number and variety of monuments America has provided to honor those who served, which are located in our nation's Capital. From the Revolutionary War to the present day, our nation has memorialized her gallant soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have distinguished themselves in the defense of our freedom.

In this guide, you will find the locations of monuments to men and women whose names will be honored as long as America's story is told, and monuments to some whose deeds, once widely celebrated, are now nearly forgotten. You will find the locations of monuments to individual services, wars and battles, and, in several places, the only remembrance of many who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country.

We hope that readers of this guide will take the time to visit some of these sites, and to remember anew the glorious deeds of the millions of men and women who have served throughout our Nation's history. For much of the information contained in it, we are indebted to the National Park Service, custodian of many of the monuments listed here, and its guidebook "Sculpture in the Parks of the Nation's Capital." We are mostly indebted, however, to the millions of men and women who serve, or have served, in the armed forces of the United States. America's freedom is their most lasting monument.

break

 

Service Memorials
Army


 

Marine Corps
Navy

War Memorials

Revolutionary War
War of 1812
Civil War
Spanish-American War
Mexican War
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War

Individuals

break

  • African American Civil War Memorial
    (1000 U Street, NW. Close to Metro Green Line U Street-Cardozo Station).
    This Memorial honors all Colored Troops who served in the Civil War. At the center of a granite-paved plaza encircled on three sides by the Wall of Honor is the Spirit of Freedom sculpture. The ten foot tall sculpture, which was unveiled on July 18, 1998, features uniformed black soldiers and a sailor poised to leave home. The Wall of Honor lists the names of 209,145 United States Colored Troops who served in the Civil War. The African American Civil War Museum is adjacent to the Memorial.
    (Designer - Ed Hamilton)
    Return to top

     

  • American Legion Freedom Bell
    (Columbus Plaza, Massachusetts Avenue, NW, opposite Union Station).
    This memorial, in honor of the Bicentennial Celebration, was conceived by members of the American Freedom Train Foundation as a bicentennial gift to the nation, dedicated to America's children. The American Legion sponsored the bell. The bell weighs 8 tons, measure 7 feet five inches in height and 7 feet in width, and was dedicated by the Legion on July 22, 1981.
    Return to top

     

  • Arlington House (Robert E. Lee Memorial)
    (Grounds of Arlington National Cemetery)
    The mansion once known as "Arlington House" was built by George Washington Parke Custis, adopted son of George Washington. Custis was the father-in-law of Robert E. Lee. Lee lived in the mansion for almost 30years. It was purchased by the government for $150,000 in 1883. The mansion was transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1933.
    (Architect - George Hadfield)
    Return to top

 

  • Arlington Memorial Bridge
    (Crosses Potomac at Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia).
    The bridge symbolizes the binding together of the North and South in one great Union. Dedicated January 16, 1932.
    (Architect - McKim, Meade & White)
    Return to top

     

  • Barry, Commodore John
    (Franklin Park, 14th Street between I & K Streets, NW).
    A bronze standing figure on a marble pedestal. Barry, born in Tucumshane, County Wexford, Ireland in 1745, was an immigrant to America who joined the American Colonial Navy and was the first officer to capture an enemy war vessel in the Revolutionary War. Dedicated May 16, 1914.
    Sculptor - John J. Boyle)
    Return to top

 

  • Byrd, Admiral Richard Evelyn
    (Memorial Avenue approach to Arlington National Cemetery).
    An 8-foot bronze standing figure on a base of white Carrera marble shows Admiral Byrd as polar explorer. A graduate of the Naval Academy, Byrd distinguished himself in his explorations of the North and South Poles. Dedicated November 13, 1961.
    (Sculptor - Felix de Weldon)
    Return to top

 

  • DC World War Memorial
    (West Potomac Park south of the Reflecting Pool).
    A circular marble bandstand of the Doric type, accommodating an 80-piece band, honors the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia who served their country in World War I and is inscribed with the names of local war dead. Dedicated November 11, 1931.
    (Architects - Frederick Brooke, Horace W. Peaslee & Nathan C. Wyeth)
    Return to top

  • Dupont Memorial Fountain
    (Dupont Circle, Connecticut Avenue & 19th & P Streets, NW).
    A marble fountain with three figures on the supporting column representing the Sea, Wind and Stars, commemorates Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont who distinguished himself as a Civil War naval commander for the United States. Dedicated December 20, 1921.
    (Sculptor - Daniel Chester French)
    Return to top

 

  • Farragut, Admiral David G.
    (Farragut Square, 17th & K Streets NW).
    Admiral Farragut, born in Tennessee, was the first Admiral in the United States Navy: a title especially created for him by Congress. During the Civil War, he captured New Orleans from the Confederates, and controlled the Mississippi. The statue is a standing figure made of metal taken from Admiral Farragut's flagship "Hartford" and is 10 feet high on a granite pedestal. Dedicated April 25, 1881.
    (Sculptor - Mrs. Vinnie Hoxie)
    Return to top

 

  • First Division Memorial
    (President's Park, south of the Executive Office Building).
    An 80-foot marble shaft with the bronze figure of Victory at the top. Erected by the Memorial Association of the First Division in memory of the dead of the Division in World War I, who served gallantly in the war's major campaigns. At the base is a bronze plaque with 5500 names. Dedicated October 4, 1924. On June 25, 1947, an addition was made to the monument in memory of dead of the Division in World War II. On August 23, 1974, an addition to the names of dead of the First Division of the US Forces in Vietnam, was made.
    Return to top

 

  • Ford's Theater
    (10th Street between E & F Streets, NW).
    Ford's Theater was erected in 1863 by John A. Ford, and it was here that President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. In 1866 the government purchased the building at a cost of $100,000. The Lincoln Museum was installed in the building and dedicated on February 12, 1932.
    (Designer and Builder - James J. Gifford)
    Return to top

 

  • Fort Stevens Monument and Marker
    (Fort Stevens,at 13th Street & Rittenhouse Street, NW).
    A granite boulder with bronze plaque, given by the Associated Survivors, Sixth Army Corps commemorates the place where President Lincoln stood under enemy fire during the Battle of Fort Stevens. The boulder was put in place in November 1911; the plaque was dedicated on July 12, 1920.
    Return to top

 

  • Garfield, President James
    (1st Street & Maryland Avenue, SW; under jurisdiction of Architect of the Capitol).
    A standing bronze figure of Garfield on a granite pedestal with three bronze figures at the base depicts him as a student, warrior, and statesman. He served as a Brigadier General in the Civil War, as Representative, Senator, and 20th President of the United States. It was erected jointly by the government and the Society of the Army of the Cumberland.
    (Sculptor - John Quincy Adams Ward)
    Return to top

 

  • Grant, President Ulysses S
    (Union Square, the Mall, 1st Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue & Maryland Avenue).
    The largest equestrian statue in the United States Pays Tribute to the famous Civil War General who became the 18th President. The monument consists of a marble platform 252 feet long and 69 feet wide with a mounted figure of Grant. On the right is a group depicting a cavalry charge and on the left side is a battery of artillery. This is the second largest equestrian statue in the world, the largest being that of Italy's King Victor Emanuel in Rome. Dedicated April 27, 1922.
    (Sculptor - H.M. Shrady)
    Return to top

 

  • Greene, General Nathaniel
    (Stanton Park, 5th and C Streets, NE).
    The bronze equestrian statue of this Revolutionary War General is believed to be the best of its type in Washington. Greene, a native of Rhode Island, succeeded General Gates as commander of the Army of the South and drove the British forces from Georgia and the Carolinas in 1782. Dedicated in 1877.
    (Sculptor - Henry K. Brown)
    Return to top

 

  • Hancock, General Winfield Scott
    (Pennsylvania Avenue at 7th Street, NW).
    A bronze equestrian statue stands on a red granite base in honor of this Civil War general who successfully repelled the Confederate attack in the battle of Gettysburg. Dedicated May 12, 1896.
    (Sculptor - Henry Ellicott)
    Return to top

 

  • Jackson, President Andrew

    (Lafayette Park, Pennsylvania Avenue between Madison & Jackson Place).
    This bronze equestrian statue to Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, is cast from a bronze cannon captured at Pensacola during his last campaign against the Spanish in 1818. This statue is remarkable for its perfect balance with a perfect center of gravity based in the charger's hind feet. Jackson achieved his greatest military fame at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. Dedicated January 8, 853.
    (Sculptor - Clark Mills)
    Return to top

  • Jefferson Memorial and Statue
    (West Potomac Park, Tidal Basin - South Bank).
    The Jefferson Memorial forms part of the axis of the great national memorials including the Capitol, White House, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial. The circular colonnaded structure is of white Georgia marble. Above the entrance is a sculptural group showing Jefferson before the committee appointed to write the Declaration of Independence. The memorial room has four panels inscribed with Jefferson's writings. At the center is a 19 foot statue of Jefferson on a 6-foot base of black Minnesota granite.
    (Sculptors: Statue - Rudolph Evans Memorial - John Russell Pope, Bas-relief group - Adolph Weinman)
    Return to top

  • Jones, Commodore John Paul
    (West Potomac Park, Tidal Basin - North Bank at 17th Street).
    The bronze standing figure of John Paul Jones is 10 feet high. The backdrop is a marble rectangular pylon with marble bowls and fountains at the base. John Paul Jones, noted American naval commander, was the first to raise the new American flag on an American war vessel and the first to compel a foreign man-of-war to surrender to a US vessel. Dedicated April 17, 1912.
    (Sculptor - Charles Niehaus)
    Return to top

 

  • Kosciuszko, General Thaddeus
    (Lafayette Park, NE corner).
    A bronze standing figure of General Kosciuszko, shown wearing a Continental Army uniform, is on a granite pedestal. He is holding fortification plans for Saratoga, New York. Of Lithuanian origin, Kosciuszko came to America at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and played an important part in many famous battles. Dedicated May 11, 1910.
    (Sculptor - Anton Popiel)
    Return to top

  • Korean War Veterans Memorial
    (Located adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool).
    Dedicated by President Cliton and South Korean President Kim Young-sam on July 27,1995, the memorial honors our nation's "sons and daughters who answered a call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met." The memorial is comprised of 19 life-sized statues of American service personnel, and a 41-panel black granite wall inscribed with images of those who served, and the motto: "Freedom is not Free."
    (Scupltor: Frank Gaylrod; Muralist - Lewis Nelson)
    Return to top

     

  • Lafayette, Marquis de
    (Lafayette Park, SE corner).
    The memorial to General Lafayette and his compatriots is of bronze on a marble pedestal. On the east and west sides are bronze figures of the Comte d'Estaing, the Comte DeGrasse, Chevalier Duportail and the Comte de Rochambeau. On the south side is a bronze figure symbolizing America lifting up a sword to Lafayette.
    (Sculptors - Alexandre Falquiere and Antonin Mercie)
    Return to top

 

  • Lincoln, Abraham
    (Judiciary Square at south front of US Courthouse).
    A life-size standing marble figure of Lincoln as a lawyer and statesman on a low granite pedestal is one of three statues to this great President in the District of Columbia. Dedicated April 15, 1868. The square and statue were transferred to the District on February 6, 1970.
    (Sculptor - Lot Flannery)
    Return to top

  • Lincoln, Abraham
    (Lincoln Park at East Capitol Street between 11th & 13th Streets, NE).
    Known as the Emancipation Group, this bronze statue of Lincoln shown him with the Emancipation Proclamation in his right hand and holding his left hand over the head of a liberated slave kneeling at his feet. Dedicated April 14, 1876.
    (Sculptor - Thomas Ball)
    Return to top

  • Lincoln Memorial and Statue
    (West Potomac Park).
    The Lincoln Memorial is a majestic building of marble and granite. Constructed in the Greek Doric manner, the exterior of the memorial symbolized the Union of the United States of America. The memorial's foundations are carried down to a depth of from 44 to 65 feet and are in sold rock. The interior of the building is divided into three chamber, the center one containing the beautiful and brooding statue of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French. The side chambers contain the memorial speeches of Lincoln.
    (Architect - Henry Bacon, Statue - Daniel Chester French, Murals - Jules Guerin)
    Return to top

 

  • Logan, General John A.
    (Logan Circle, Vermont Avenue at 13th & P Streets, NW).
    The memorial to this Civil War figure is a bronze equestrian statue on a base of pink granite. It is flanked by two female figures representing America at War and at Peace. General Logan was a soldier, diplomat, Congressman, Senator, Civil War leader, and Presidential candidate in 1884. Dedicated on April 9, 1902.
    (Sculptor - Franklin Simmons)
    Return to top

 

  • Marine Corps War Memorial, (Iwo Jima)
    (Arlington Boulevard & Ridge Road, Arlington, Virginia).
    This monument, erected by the United States Marine Corps and members of the Naval Service was modeled after the famous picture by Joe Rosenthal depicting the flag raising on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima. The memorial honors all Marines who have died for their country. Dedicated on November 10, 1954.
    (Sculptor - Felix de Weldon)
    Return to top

 

  • McClellan, General George B.
    (Connecticut Avenue & California Street, NW).
    This bronze equestrian statue of General McClellan, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Antietam and as head of the Army of the Potomac, stands at the crest of a hill overlooking Connecticut Avenue. It was cast in France and was dedicated on May 2, 1907.
    (Sculptor - Frederick MacMonnies)
    Return to top
  • McPherson, Major-General James B.
    (McPherson Square, Vermont Avenue, 15th & K Streets, NW).
    The equestrian statue to General McPherson is made of a captured cannon and is on a granite pedestal. It represents McPherson surveying a battlefield and was a gift of the Society of the Army of Tennessee, whose commander he was. General McPherson distinguished himself at the Battle of Atlanta and was Chief Engineer on General Grant's staff. Dedicated on October 18, 1876.
    (Sculptor - Louis Rebisso)
    Return to top

 

  • Meade, Major General George C.
    (Pennsylvania Avenue & 3rd Street, NW).
    General Meade, a Pennsylvanian, was a noted Army officer during the Civil War and achieved fame in the defense of Gettysburg while commanding the Union forces. He commanded the Army of the Potomac in 1863. The statue is of marble on a marble base with grouped figures. Dedicated on October 19, 1927.
    (Sculptor - Charles A. Grafly)
    Return to top

 

  • Muhlenberg, Peter
    (Connecticut Avenue at 36th & Ellicott Streets, NW).
    John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg was a statesman, clergyman, and soldier of the Revolutionary War era. He fought in many major battles of the American Revolution and retired from the Army as a General. He had been a pastor when the war began, serving both Lutheran and Episcopal congregations. When he decided to become a soldier, he told his parishioners: "in the language of Holy Writ there is a time for all things…there is a time to pray and a time to fight…and that time has now come." Three hundred men from his congregations joined the Army. The memorial consists of a bronze bust on a limestone pedestal located in a plaza surrounded by a low wall on which are bronze plaques highlighting the three phases of his career: soldier, clergyman and statesman. Dedicated on October 26, 1980.
    (Sculptor - Caroline Muhlenberg Hufford. Architect - John F. Harbeson)
    Return to top

 

  1. A granite statue of a soldier erected by the State of New York in honor of those from that state who died in the defense of the Capital in 1864. Dedicated on September 18, 1914.
  2. A granite column with bronze plaque inscribed with the battles and names of the men who died in the defense of Washington in 1864 from Onondaga County, New York. Dedicated on July 12, 1904.
  3. A granite column erected by the State of Ohio for the Ohio National Guard Infantrymen who took part in the defense of Washington at Fort Stevens on July 4, 1864.
  4. A granite column inscribed with the names of the dead and wounded who fought in the defense of Washington on July 11 & 12, 1864. Dedicated in 1891.
    Return to top

 

  • Navy-Marine Memorial
    (Lady Bird Johnson Park).
    This monument sculpted in aluminum consists of seven sea gulls in flight above the crest of a wave. It stands on a green granite base and was erected in honor of men of the United States who gave their lives or are still offering their lives in the performance of heroic deeds upon the waters of the world. Dedicated on October 18, 1934.
    (Sculptor -Ernesto Begni del Piatta)
    Return to top

 

  • Nuns of the Battlefield
    (Rhode Island Avenue & M Street, NW).
    A granite shaft with a bronze panel 9 by 5 feet portraying figures of 12 nuns representing the different orders of nuns who nursed the sick and wounded in the Civil War. Dedicated on September 20, 1924.
    (Sculptor - Jerome Connor)
    Return to top

 

  • One Hundred First Army Airborne Division
    (Memorial Avenue, West of Arlington Memorial Bridge).
    The memorial commemorates the men of the "screaming Eagles" who have served their country in World War II and Vietnam. It consists of a bronze eagle with wings lifted, on a gray granite base which contains inscriptions associated with the Division. Dedicated May 29, 1977.
    (Architect - Harold J. Schaller, Sculptor - Bernhard Zukerman)
    Return to top

 

  • Peace or "Naval" Monument
    (Pennsylvania Avenue at First Street, NW; under jurisdiction of Architect of the Capitol).
    The memorial to officers, sailors and marines who served in the United States Navy or fell in defense of the Union from 1861-1865, is of Carrera marble, 44 feet high. Figures at the top represent America weeping on the shoulders of History. Other figures include Peace, Victory, Neptune and Mars. An irregularly shaped fountain bowl surrounds the memorial with fountain jets on each of the four sides. It was sculpted in Rome in 1877 and dedicated that year.
    (Sculptor - Franklin Simons)
    Return to top

 

  • Pershing, General John J.
    (Pershing Square, Pennsylvania Avenue & 14th Street).
    The memorial was erected as a part of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation design of Pennsylvania Avenue in 1983 and has been included in the design of Pershing Square.
    (Sculptor - Robert White)
    Return to top

 

  • Pike, General Albert
    (Pennsylvania Avenue at First Street, NW).
    This bronze standing figure of General Pike honors him as a great freemason, soldier, author and philosopher. It is placed on a granite pedestal on which is seated a bronze figure of the Goddess of Masonry. Dedicated on October 23, 1901, it was relocated to its present site in 1977.
    (Sculptor - Gaetano Trentanove)
    Return to top

 

  • Pulaski, Count Casimir
    (Western Plaza, Pennsylvania Avenue at E & 13th Streets, NW).
    A bronze equestrian statue depicting Count Pulaski in his military uniform as a Revolutionary War soldier. This is considered one of the best equestrian statues in the city. It rests on a granite pedestal 9 feet high and a granite base. Pulaski came to America from Poland and, after declaring his intention to become a citizen, fought under General Washington. He lost his life in the siege of Savannah on October 11, 1779. Dedicated May 11, 1910.
    Return to top

 

  • Rawlins, General John A.
    (Rawlins Park, 18th & E Streets, NW).
    The statue of General Rawlins, a standing figure 8 feet high, was made from the cannon he captured in the Civil War. General Rawlins, a Union officer from Illinois, was a close friend of General Grant and served as Secretary of War in President Grant's first administration.
    (Sculptor - Joseph A. Bailey)
    Return to top

 

  • Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano
    (West Potomac Park).
    An Act of Congress approved on August 11, 1955 established the FDR Memorial Commission. A proclamation was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson dated January 20, 1969, proclaiming that the land reserved by the Act of September 1, 1959 be designated Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Park, an area of West Potomac Park.
    (Landscape Architect - Lawrence Halprin)
    Return to top

 

  • Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano
    (Adjacent to National Archives Building; 9th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW).
    Dedicated April 12, 1965. A modest but dignified block of White Vermont marble. The location and the type of memorial placed here were indicated by President Roosevelt himself in a conversation with Justice Felix Frankfurter in 1941.
    Return to top

 

  • Roosevelt, President Theodore
    (Theodore Roosevelt Island, Potomac River between Memorial and Key Bridges).
    A 17-foot bronze statue of the 26th President stands in front of a 30-foot shaft of granite overlooking an oval terrace. The surrounding terrace is encircled by a moat with footbridges. Four granite slabs, each 21 feet high and inscribed with Roosevelt's writings, rise from the lower terrace. Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to President Roosevelt, is set aside for recreation, nature study, and enjoyment of the public. It contains 88 acres. This area has been restored to its natural state as a wildlife refuge and natural preserve in honor of the fabled "Roughrider" who was an ardent lover of nature.
    (Architect - Eric Gugler, Sculptor - Paul Manship)
    Return to top

 

  • Scott, Lieutenant General Winfield Brevet
    (Scott Circle; 16th & Massachusetts Avenue, NW).
    The equestrian statue, made from a cannon captured by General Scott during his Mexican Campaign, depicts him ion field uniform. He is represented as a hero of the War of 1812, the Mexican War and Civil War. The base is carved from a single block of granite, the largest stone ever successfully quarried in this country at that time. Completed in 1874.
    (Sculptor - Henry K. Brown)
    Return to top

 

  • Seabees of the United States Navy
    (Memorial Avenue Near Arlington National Cemetery).
    The memorial depicts the Seabees as builders, fighters and "Ambassadors of Goodwill." The theme is that of a Seabee who has just dismounted from his bulldozer to greet and make friends with a small child. The 1-1/2 times lifesize figure of the Seabee is 9 feet tall. It stands on a 3-foot pedestal which is centered in front of a semicircular bronze bas-relief which portrays a panorama of Seabees at work at their various construction trades. Dedicated on May 27, 1974.
    (Sculptor - Felix de Weldon)
    Return to top

 

  • Second Division Memorial
    (Grounds south of White House at 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW).
    This granite shaft honors those of the second Division who gave their lives in World War I from 1917-1919. It is in the form of a great open doorway flanked by wings on which are inscribed the names of the battles in which the Division participated. Dedicated by the Second Division Memorial Association on July 18, 1936. Wings for World War II and Korea have now been added.
    (Sculptor - James Fraser)
    Return to top

 

  • Sheridan, General Philip
    (Sheridan Circle; Massachusetts Avenue & 23rd Street, NW).
    A bronze equestrian statue on a granite pedestal flanked by fountains, this memorial to General Sheridan was erected by the government and the Army of the Cumberland. General Sheridan, a native New Yorker, commanded the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, engaged in numerous battles and helped force Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox. Dedicated on November 25, 1908.
    (Sculptor - Gutzon Borglum)
    Return to top

 

  • Sherman, General William Tecumseh
    (Sherman Square; 15th & E Streets, NW).
    This bronze equestrian statue of the General is mounted on a granite pedestal and a square platform with a bronze soldier at each corner, representing the four branches of the service-infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers. General Sherman, one of the great Northern generals of the Civil War, was most noted for his march through Georgia and his capture of Savannah. He commanded the Army of Tennessee and succeeded General Ulysses S. Grant as Commander of the United States Army. Dedicated on October 15, 1903.
    (Sculptor -Carl Rohl Smith)
    Return to top

 

  • Thomas, Major General George
    (Thomas Circle; 14th & Vermont Avenue, NW).
    This 16-foot high bronze equestrian statue of General Thomas is a gift of the Army of the Cumberland Society in honor of this Virginia General who gained fame during the Civil War as the "Rock of Chickamauga" by his defense of that position in 1863. Dedicated on November 19, 1879.
    (Sculptor - J. Q. A Ward)
    Return to top

 

  • United States Navy Memorial
    (Market Square; 8th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between the White House and the capitol).
    This memorial honors 11 million United States Navy veterans. The memorial features a 24,000 square foot visitors center, a statue of the Lone Sailor, and what is believed to be the largest map of the world anywhere. A movie titled At Sea is shown every 45 minutes on the visitors center's two-story-high-screen.
    (Architects - Conklin & Rossant)
    Return to top

 

  • United Spanish War Veterans Memorial
    (Memorial Avenue, west of Arlington Memorial Bridge).
    This standing figure of "The Hiker" represents the veterans of the Spanish-American War 1898-1902. Dedicated on July 24, 1965.
    (Sculptor - Theo. A. K. Kitson)
    Return to top

 

  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial
    (Constitution Gardens).
    The memorial is formed by two polished black granite walls, each 246.8 feet long, meeting at an angle of approximately 125 degrees and forming an open wedge. The names of the nearly 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam or who remain unaccounted for are inscribed on the walls in chronological order. The memorial was opened to the public on November 13, 1982. A bronze sculpture of three figurative Vietnam Veterans was dedicated on November 11, 1984.
    (Designer of the memorial - Maya Ying Lin, Sculptor of figurative pieces - Frederick Hart)
    Return to top

 

  • Von Steuben, General Frederick (Baron)
    (Lafayette Park; Pennsylvania Avenue between Madison & Jackson Place - NW corner).
    This bronze standing figure of General Von Steuben shows him in the uniform of a Major General of the continental Army. It is on a granite pedestal with bronze figure groups. Von Steuben was Aide-de-Camp to Frederick the Great and joined the American colonies in the Revolution to train the citizen-soldiers of America. Dedicated on December 7, 1910.
    (Sculptor - Albert Yaegers)
    Return to top

 

  • Ward, General Artemas
    (Ward Circle; Massachusetts & Nebraska Avenues, NW).
    This memorial to General Ward is a bronze standing figure and shows the General in a Continental Army uniform. It is on a granite pedestal. The model for his face was a life portrait by Charles Wilson Peale, located in Independence Hall at Philadelphia. General Ward was the first Commander-in-Chief of the American Armies in the Revolutionary War. He was relieved by General Washington in Boston. Dedicated in 1938.
    (Sculptor - Leonard Crunelle)
    Return to top

 

  • Washington, George
    (Washington Circle).
    The bronze equestrian statue of General Washington depicts him in the uniform of the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. It is mounted on a marble pedestal. The face of the statue was modeled from a bust of Washington by Houdon. The statue represents the Virginia born Washington at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey, so near the front liens his horse refused to advance. Dedicated in 1860.
    (Sculptor - Clark Mills)
    Return to top

 

  • Washington Monument
    (The Mall; Monument Grounds south of Constitution Avenue between 15th & 16th Streets, NW).
    This marble obelisk, 555 feet, 5 inches high, weighs 81,120 tons. The monument to the first President of the United States was erected in honor of his achievements and unselfish devotion in the founding of our Nation. It was originally built to a height of 150 feet by the Washington National Monument Society with funds raised by popular subscription, but the work was stopped in 1854 due to lack of funds. Under an Act of Congress approved August 2, 1876, Congress authorized the completion of the Monument.
    (Sculptor - Robert Mills)
    Return to top

     

  • Women in Military Service
    (Arington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia).
    The Women in Military Service memorial honors all women who have served, or are serving, in the armed forces of the United States. Designed to form the grand entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the memorial features a reflecting pool and four staircases which pass through the hemicycle wall, to allow visitors access to a panoramic view of the Nation's Capital from the upper terrace.
    (Design - Marion Gail Weiss and Michael Manfredi)
    Return to top

     

  • The World War II Memorial
    (17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues, Washington, DC).
    The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people. The Second World War is the only 20th Century event commemorated on the National Mall’s central axis.
    (Design - Friedrich St. Florian)
    Return to top

The information on this page was originally prepared by Everett Chasen and Betsy Hearn.
It was transcribed by Meg Phillips
and prepared for the web by Everett A. Ham, III.