Statues in Meridian Hill Park When Meridian Hill Park opened in October 1936 there were five memorials in the park. Mary Foote Henderson was influential in getting a park placed in the neighborhood and advocated for funds for the park construction for more than 20 years. After she died in 1931 many people, including the…
Tag: Meridian Hill Park
Meridian Hill Park / Malcolm X Park
Situated in the middle of Northwest Washington, D.C., one and a half miles directly north of the White House, Meridian Hill Park is one of the most unique parks in the National Park system. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, October 25, 1974, and as a National Historic Landmark, April 19, 1994. Design team included: Horace Peaslee, George Burnap, and John Earley,
Joan of Arc
Statue: Joan of Arc (Jeanne D’Arc, French) Location: Meridian Hill Park Sculptor: Paul Dubois, French Dedication: January 6, 1922 Cost: $0, gift of the Femmes de France of New York The only equestrian statue of a women in the nation’s Capital, the Joan of Arc statue was given to the United States by a group…
WalkingTownDC
I recently gave a tour of Meridian Hill Park as part of WalkingTownDC – a 10-day festival of tours organized by Cultural Tourism DC. If you haven’t heard of Cultural Tourism DC check out their website at culturaltourismdc.org. They offer a weekly e-newsletter distributed on Wednesdays and filled with activities and other interesting happenings. It’s…
Serenity Statue
Location: Meridian Hill Park, NW, upper park, on the 16th Street side Placement: 1925 Sculptor: Jose Clara Cost: Gift to the United States The Serenity memorial is dedicated to Navy Lieutenant Commander William Henry Schuetze. It was given to the United States by Charles Deering. Deering and Schuetze were classmates at the U.S. Naval Academy…
James Buchanan
President James Buchanan: served as President from 1857-1861 Sculpture: Hans Schuler Architect: William Gordon Beecher Dedication: June 26, 1930, 2:30pm Ceremony: President Hoover addressed the crowd Cost: $100,000 given by Mrs. Harriet Lane Johnston, Buchanan’s niece and mistress of the White House during his administration. Buchanan was born in Franklin County, Pa., on April 23,…
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri, Italian poet (1265 – 1321) Location: Meridian Hill Park, southeast side of lower park, near 15th Street and Florida Avenue, NW. The location was originally called Poet’s Corner. Sculptor: Ettore Ximenes, Italy Designer: Whitney Warren Ceremony: Commissioner Rudolph, M. Rene Viviani, Amb. Ricci Dedication: Thursday, December 1, 1921, 3:30pm The statue of Dante…