Existing comment:
Capitol Square, SW
Historical Information
The Peace Monument
By Franklin Simmons, 1878
The Peace Monument, also called the Naval Monument, was erected to commemorate the naval deaths at sea during the Civil War. at the top of the 44-foot monument, Grief, sometimes called America, weeps on the shoulder of History. Below them Victory, with the infant Mars and Neptune at her feet, holds a laurel wreath and an oak branch. Peace, facing the Capitol, holds an olive branch; objective symbolizing civilization are at her feet.
The James A. Garfield Monument
Sculpture by John Quincy Adams Ward
Pedestal by Richard Morris Hunt, 1887
Below the portrait statue of President James A. Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881, are three figures representing different phases of his career. The Student suggests his early work as a teacher The Warrior represents his military career during the Civil War. The Statesman symbolizes Garfield's achievements as Representative, Senator, and President.
The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
Sculpture by Henry Merwin Shrady
Architecture by Edward Casey, 1920
The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial was completed in 1920 and dedicated in 1924. Forty-four feet high and over 250 feet long, it is the largest statuary group in Washington, and the figure of the Civil War general is among the largest equestrian statues in the world. Groups of cavalry and artillery soldiers and horses stand at the north and south ends. The memorial is under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. |