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47-626: The Grant Memorial is a contributor to the Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C. , of the National Register of Historic Places . James M. Goode's authoritative The Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C. (1974) called it "one of the most important sculptures in Washington." It includes the largest equestrian statue in the United States and the fifth-largest in the world. The Grant Memorial

94-459: A Confederate general. Though Pike was depicted as a Mason, not a soldier, the memorial stirred controversy for decades. Albert Pike (1809–1891) was a Massachusetts native who became a schoolteacher and frontiersman before settling in Arkansas . There he began teaching again and continued to write poetry, a lifelong passion. His letters to local newspapers led to a job offer as an editor for

141-492: A KKK pointed hat and gown . Bevel stated: "One way or the other, this statue is coming down. Either the statue will be taken down gracefully, or it will be torn down." The protesters sought a congressional resolution to have the statue removed and replaced with a monument inscribed with the Declaration of Independence . Historian and LaRouche activist Anton Chaitkin called the statue a "monument to terrorism" and members of

188-504: A LaRouche video promised the Middle East conflict would be solved and World War III averted if the statue was removed. In December 1992, the Washington, D.C., city council passed a resolution, sponsored by Charles Urdy, asking for the statue to be removed. The weekly protests by LaRouche supporters continued into 1993. That year Bevel and Chaitkin were convicted of "unlawful statue climbing" and sentenced to one week in jail. There

235-417: A cleaning and restoration program was carried out on the memorial. This included the replacement of 150 elements of the work, such as swords and scabbards, that had gone missing or been stolen over the years. The layer of green corrosion on the memorial's bronze was removed to return it to its original brown color. Civil War Monuments in Washington, DC The Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C. are

282-500: A group of seventeen outdoor statues which are spread out through much of central and northwest Washington, D.C. The statues depict 11 Union generals and formerly included one Confederate general, Albert Pike , who was depicted as a Mason and not as a general. The Pike statue was torn down on Juneteenth 2020, as part of the George Floyd protests . Two Union admirals are honored, although Admiral Samuel Francis DuPont 's statue

329-697: A poet, lawyer, and influential figure in the Scottish Rite of freemasonry . The memorial—which now only includes the base and Goddess of Masonry sculpture—sits near the corner of 3rd and D Streets NW in the Judiciary Square neighborhood. The memorial's two bronze figures were sculpted by Gaetano Trentanove , the Italian-American sculptor of another Washington, D.C., sculptural landmark, the Daniel Webster Memorial . The dedication ceremony in 1901

376-434: A public memorial to be erected in Washington, D.C. in honor of a Confederate general, they contacted congressmen and told them it would be a disgrace to the memories of all Union soldiers. Nevertheless, on April 9, 1898, members of Congress approved the memorial after Masons assured them it would depict Pike as a civilian, not a soldier. Excavation for the memorial site took place in the summer of 1899 and on July 4, 1900,

423-577: A rebuttal op-ed in The Washington Post in defense of the memorial and pointed out that only an Act of Congress could result in the statue's removal. Boettjer stated: "[Pike] received a full pardon from the federal government for his service in the Civil War as a Confederate general. There is not a jot of reliable proof that Albert Pike was ever a member, much less an officer, of the Klan." He also claimed

470-517: A traitor and racist. Starting in the 1990s, there was renewed interest in removing the statue. In late 1992, members of the LaRouche movement , including civil rights activist and Lyndon LaRouche 's vice-presidential candidate James Bevel , began a series of protests demanding the memorial be removed, citing Pike's alleged links with the KKK. During one such event, LaRouche supporters draped Pike's statue with

517-610: Is in Union Square , which also encompasses the Capitol Reflecting Pool . The platform for the Monument, made of Vermont marble , is 252 feet (77 m) long and 71 feet (22 m) wide and is divided into three sections. The tall, middle section features a 10,700-pound, 17-foot-2-inch (5.23 m) high equestrian statue depicting Grant astride his war horse Cincinnati on a 22½-foot high marble pedestal. A striking feature of

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564-540: Is one of 18 Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C. , which were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1978, and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on March 3, 1979. The memorial is also designated a contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site , established on September 30, 1965. In 1993, the memorial

611-842: The Arkansas Advocate , a newspaper in Little Rock affiliated with the Whig Party . Pike later became a successful lawyer specializing in Native American claims against the U.S. government. He served as a captain in the Mexican–American War and resumed his legal practice following the war. In the 1850s, Pike switched his allegiance to the Know Nothing Party due to the Whig Party's reluctance to embrace slavery and sided with

658-621: The Confederacy when Southern states seceded from the United States in 1861. During the Civil War , Pike's knowledge of Native Americans led to him being commissioned a brigadier general in the Confederate Army . Pike assembled an Indian cavalry loyal to the Confederacy and led them in battle at Pea Ridge , where his poor leadership and inability to keep the cavalry engaged with the enemy

705-588: The Council of the District of Columbia petitioned to have the statue removed. Michael Farquhar, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post , called Pike a "blustering blowhard, a feeble poet, a laughable hypocrite, a shameless jingoist, a notoriously insubordinate military officer, and yes, a bigot with genocidal inclinations". John W. Boettjer, then managing editor of the Scottish Rite Journal , wrote

752-482: The guidon (flag) carrier who is signaling a sharp right wheel. Despite the impending course change the horse on the right is able to continue lunging forward due to a broken strap on the right bridle bit. To the north the Cavalry Group depicts a color squad consisting of seven cavalrymen charging into battle. The horse on the right has fallen and the rider, modeled after Shrady himself, is moments from being trampled by

799-485: The American people: Although Albert Pike was a soldier in the Civil War, this statue will commemorate him rather as a victor in the honorable rivalries of peace. It is well that you thus add to the comparatively small number of statues in the city of Washington that honor the victories of peace rather than of war. After the band performed additional music, a benediction was given, and the ceremony concluded. Throughout

846-692: The Grand Lodge of the Masons of the District of Columbia led by Grand Master Harry Standiford marched from the Masonic Temple at 9th and F Streets NW to the House of the Temple where they joined thousands of Masons taking part in the parade. The parade ended at the memorial site, on a triangular lot bordered by 3rd Street, D Street, and Indiana Avenue NW. A large temporary stand for invited guests and ceremony participants

893-496: The Nation. Surrounding the main pedestal are four shorter pedestals, each supporting a bronze lion in repose guarding both the United States flag and the flags of the Army. The memorial was the largest bronze sculpture cast in the United States at that time. The Artillery Group to the south shows a caisson carrying three artillerymen and pulled by three horses. Astride the horse on the left is

940-496: The Pike memorial and chanted "tear it down", and during another protest, it was vandalized when someone threw red paint on it. Local government officials, including some members of the council, Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine , and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton , asked the NPS to remove the memorial. In July 2019 Norton introduced House bill H.R. 4135 directing that

987-641: The SCJC, then gave a speech and formally presented the memorial to the American people: I am here to represent the Supreme Council, and in its name to present to the government of the United States this statue. It will long stand as a loving tribute from his brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. President of the District Commission H. B. F. McFarland accepted the memorial on behalf of

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1034-477: The Scottish Rite, defended Pike and said the statue was not in honor of his role as a Confederate general but as an "advocate for Native Americans and his role as a champion of educational and social reform and for his literary accomplishments and scholarship." Scottish Rite Journal managing editor S. Brent Morris has also defended the memorial and Pike's role as a Confederate officer: "We're not embarrassed in

1081-617: The Washington-based Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction (SCJC), one of two jurisdictions in the Scottish Rite . Pike had become a Mason in 1850 and quickly rose through its ranks, becoming the SGC in 1859. He rewrote and interpreted Masonic rituals and compiled the Southern Jurisdiction's first philosophical document, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , an influential book in

1128-510: The White House. The DOJ alleged that the man was seen on video climbing up onto the federally-owned Jackson statue and affixing a rope that was then used to try to pull the statue down. The Pike memorial included the only outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C. honoring a Confederate general, although he was dressed as a civilian, not a soldier. The memorial is located in Reservation 188 at

1175-670: The arrest and charging of a man who had helped destroy the Pike statue by pulling it from its base and setting it on fire. The DOJ's complaint alleged that the man had been captured on video dousing the statue with a flammable liquid, igniting it as it lay on the ground, and using the fire to light a cigarette. The DOJ also charged the man with being among a crowd of rioters that on June 22 had unsuccessfully attempted to topple Clark Mills ' 1852 bronze equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square in President's Park , directly north of

1222-416: The central statue is Grant's calm (almost disaffected) attitude amidst the raging fighting going on around him. This is not surprising because Grant was known for his calmness and coolheadedness during battle. In sharp contrast to Grant are the sculpture groups on either side, Cavalry Charge and Artillery , which ... possess more dramatic interest and suspense than any sculpture in the city and, indeed, in

1269-596: The ceremony, Pike was portrayed as a kind poet. However, there were a few references to his service as a Confederate general. For many years, members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy would hold ceremonies at the site on Pike's birthday and Masons would decorate the memorial, though the latter still happens on occasion. The memorial was removed in 1972 during construction of Interstate 395 and reinstalled in September 1977 near its former site. The memorial

1316-464: The cornerstone was laid. Prior to the cornerstone ceremony, several members of the SCJC, including Third Assistant Secretary of State Thomas W. Cridler , gathered at the House of the Temple at 433 3rd Street NW (current site of the Tax Court Building ), where Pike had lived, to reminisce. The men signed a parchment noting the date and who was in attendance. At the ceremony, the parchment

1363-532: The least that he was a Confederate general...Even in 1901, I don't think the United States Congress would have approved honoring a Confederate general, so he was honored for all his other accomplishments." Following the 2017 Unite the Right rally , there was renewed interest in many cities and states to remove Confederate statues and memorials from public land. The day after the rally, protesters gathered at

1410-539: The memorial and died, stressed and overworked, two weeks before its dedication in 1922. The sculptures were cast in bronze at the Roman Bronze Works in New York. Construction on the site of the memorial began in 1909 when the marble superstructure and the four bronze lions were installed. The Artillery Group was installed in 1912, the Cavalry Group in 1916, and the bronze equestrian statue of Grant in 1920. The memorial

1457-641: The onrushing horses. The drive to erect a monument to Grant was begun in the 1890s by the Society of the Army of the Tennessee . Work on the memorial was begun in 1902 as the largest ever commissioned by Congress at the time, was created by sculptor Henry Merwin Shrady and architect Edward Pearce Casey . Sculptor Edmond Amateis assisted Shrady as the monument neared completion in 1921. Shrady spent 20 years of his life working on

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1504-422: The organization. Pike continued serving as SGC until he died in 1891. Pike once stated, "When I am dead, I wish my monument to be builded only in the hearts and memories of my brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Rite". However, a few years after his death, Masons began plans for a monument in the nation's capital. The SCJC chose Italian-American artist Gaetano Trentanove to sculpt the memorial. Trentanove

1551-419: The southwest corner of 3rd and D Street NW in the Judiciary Square neighborhood. It is sited between the U.S. Department of Labor's Frances Perkins Building and Metropolitan Police Department headquarters. The bronze sculpture of Pike measured 11 ft (3.4 m) high. It depicted him as a Masonic leader, not a Confederate officer. He was wearing a double-breasted vest and a long coat. His right arm

1598-470: The statue be removed. On June 19, 2020, after weeks of protests in response to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis , protesters using rope and chains toppled the Pike statue, doused it with a flammable liquid and ignited it. After several minutes, local police intervened, extinguished the flames, and left the scene. The following day the NPS removed the statue. The pedestal which remains in place

1645-515: The statue being toppled, President Donald Trump tweeted: "The D.C. police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country!" However, because the memorial is in a federal park, it is under the jurisdiction of the NPS and United States Park Police , not the local police. On July 2, 2020, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced

1692-687: Was a contributing factor to the Confederates' loss. Alleged atrocities committed by his troops include the scalping of captured enemy combatants. A few months after the battle, Pike resigned from the army and resumed practicing law. Following the war, Pike settled in Memphis , Tennessee , where it was rumored he became involved with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), although "this is not certain." Around 1870, Pike moved to Washington, D.C. to practice law and continue serving as Sovereign Grand Commander (SGC) of

1739-622: Was an acquaintance of Pike and had recently received praise for his sculpture of Jacques Marquette housed in the National Statuary Hall Collection . While Trentanove was working on the commission, Masons lobbied members of Congress for public land in Washington, D.C., where the monument could be placed. When members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a fraternal organization of Union veterans, became aware of plans for

1786-549: Was attended by thousands of Masons who marched in a celebratory parade. The memorial is one of 18 Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C. , which were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The memorial is owned and maintained by the National Park Service , a federal agency of the Interior Department . The Pike statue was the only outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C. , honoring

1833-494: Was built at the base of the memorial. Following a musical performance by Haley's Washington Band, grand commanders of the SCJC, the Scottish Rite's Northern Jurisdiction, and Royal Order of Scotland all released the halyard holding the U.S. flag that covered the memorial. This was followed by loud cheers from the crowd and a prayer given by Masonic chaplain Charles Alvin Smith. Frederick Webber, secretary general of

1880-482: Was completed in 1997 and is not included in the group of historic statues. Download coordinates as: Albert Pike Memorial The Albert Pike Memorial is a public artwork in Washington, D.C. , erected in 1901, and partially demolished in 2020 by protestors responding to the murder of George Floyd . It honors Albert Pike (1809–1891), a senior officer of the Confederate States Army as well as

1927-631: Was continued criticism of the memorial in the 1990s and 21st century. John F. Doyle, a retired judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia , said Pike was responsible for Native American casualties during the Civil War and their subsequent loss of land. Journalist and author Richard G. Zimmerman called Pike's statue a "poor choice for a pedestal" and said inscriptions on the memorial noting Pike's virtues should include "bigot, indicted traitor, alleged barbarian, suspected plagiarist, jailbird". C. Fred Kleinknecht, then chief executive officer of

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1974-440: Was covered in graffiti that has since been cleaned. Although Norton had been a strong proponent of removing the statue, after its toppling, she clarified: "I would like these statues to be placed in museums, and the history of the statue told so that we don't lose this moment in history. We don't want to obliterate our history. The way to keep that history alive so we can never repeat this kind of history again." In response to

2021-527: Was dedicated on the 100th anniversary of Grant's birth, April 27, 1922. Shrady having died, the infantry panels on the base of Grant's pedestal were completed by sculptor Sherry Fry based on Shrady's sketches and installed in 1924. The Grant Memorial composes the center of a three-part sculptural group including the James A. Garfield Monument to the south and the Peace Monument to the north. During 2015 and 2016

2068-500: Was enclosed in a bottle and placed in an opening of the memorial's foundation. The total cost of the memorial was $ 15,000, raised by members of the SCJC. Fabrication was carried out by the Washington Granite Monumental Company and the sculptures founded by Fonderia Galli. The dedication ceremony on October 23, 1901, was planned to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the SCJC. At 2 P.M., members of

2115-456: Was extended, and with the left hand, he held a book, thought to be his work Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . The sculpture surmounted a granite , Beaux-Arts base that is 17.2 ft (5.2 m) tall and 17.1 ft (5.2 m) wide. On the front of the memorial (north side), a bronze sculpture representing the Goddess of Masonry rests halfway down

2162-642: Was removed to Wilmington, Delaware , and he is now honored with a fountain. Other statues depict nuns, peace, emancipation, and the Grand Army of the Republic . In accordance with Executive Order 11593 by President Richard Nixon , the National Park Service surveyed and registered the 18 Civil War statues in Washington, D.C. to aid in their preservation. They are listed as a group on the National Register of Historic Places . The African American Civil War Memorial 38°54′29″N 77°1′33″W  /  38.90806°N 77.02583°W  / 38.90806; -77.02583  ( African American Civil War Memorial )

2209-608: Was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution as part of its Save Outdoor Sculpture! program, and it was deemed "well maintained". The memorial is owned and maintained by the National Park Service (NPS), an operating unit of the United States Department of the Interior . Pike's memorial has often stirred controversy throughout its history, beginning with the GAR's lobbying efforts against its erection to protesters arguing it honors

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