| Washington Monument | |
|---|---|
 Washington Monument by Rudolf Siemering | |
 | |
| Artist | Rudolf Siemering |
| Year | Dedicated May 15, 1897 |
| Medium | Bronze, Granite |
| Dimensions | 13 m × 19 m × 23 m (44 ft × 61 ft × 74 ft) |
| Location | Eakins Oval,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°57′51.3″N75°10′45″W / 39.964250°N 75.17917°W /39.964250; -75.17917 (Washington Monument) |
TheWashington Monument inPhiladelphia is a large-scale bronze and granite sculpture created by German sculptorRudolf Siemering in 1897. It features anequestrian statue of George Washington atop a pedestal with allegorical and historical figures. Originally located at the Green Street entrance toFairmount Park, it was relocated in 1926 to theEakins Oval in front of thePhiladelphia Museum of Art. The memorial was commissioned by the StateSociety of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania and given to the city of Philadelphia.[1][2][3]
The State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania met on July 4, 1810 and resolved to erect a memorial toGeorge Washington in Philadelphia.[4]: 133 As there was no monument by 1824, when theMarquis de Lafayette visited, a second fund was established by citizens of the city for the monument, which would be erected inWashington Square.[4]: 134 [5]: 6 Local artistJohn Sartain was part of the monument committee.[6] In 1879,Rudolf Siemering proposed a monumental memorial for Washington. Siemering was a German sculptor working inBerlin and known for his Leipzig Victory Monument located in the city'smarket square. In 1880, the Society, having secured funding, began negotiations with Siemering. A contract for the monument was signed on October 19, 1881.[4]: 134–135 Sites considered for the monument includedFairmount Park and Washington Square. In 1895, the park commissioners approved the Green Street entrance to the park.[4]: 136
PresidentWilliam McKinley unveiled the statue at its dedication on May 15, 1897 and gave a brief presentation.[7]: 9, 14 JudgeWilliam W. Porter of the State Society of the Cincinnati gave the main oration. MajorWilliam Wayne, president of the society and direct descendant of Revolutionary War generalAnthony Wayne, presented the monument to the city. MayorCharles F. Warwick transferred it to theFairmount Park Commission.[3][8]
In 1917, theBenjamin Franklin Parkway was designed by the French landscape architectJacques Gréber, who had been hired by the Fairmount Park Commission. As part of theCity Beautiful plan, the monument was relocated in 1926 from the Green Street entrance toEakins Oval, the traffic circle at the end of the parkway by thePhiladelphia Museum of Art.[9]: 28 In time for its centennial in 1997, the monument underwent a four-year restoration.[10] The monument was listed as the Washington Fountain, Eakins Oval, on thePhiladelphia Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1971.[11]
The 44-foot (13 m)[1] high monument is divided into three levels. The bronze equestrian statue of General Washington is at the top, facing southeast, towardPhiladelphia City Hall. He is dressed in a traditional military uniform, representing his service ascommander-in-chief of theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War. He is wearing a cape andtricorner hat, and holding a spyglass in his right hand.[5]: 10 Siemering used a copy of a life mask of Washington to model his face.[4]: 135
The middle level, the pedestal, has allegorical and historical figures that represent the country during his time. In the front, an allegorical figure of America, with trident and cornucopia, is accompanied by two citizens, one holding a scroll, the other offering a wreath. AnAmerican eagle is below her.[2][5]: 10 On each side of the pedestal is a bronzebas-relief with historical figures, one side depicts the march of the army, the other the westward march of emigrants. Their names are engraved in the reliefs. At the top, beneath the equestrian statue, there is a scroll, "Erected by the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania".[5]: 11
The bottom level represents the natural world during Washington's time. The pink Swedish granite base is 61 by 74 feet (19 m × 23 m) and has 13 steps for the 13 original states. The four corner fountains symbolize four major rivers: theDelaware River, theHudson River, theMississippi River, and thePotomac River. The Delaware River fountain has twoAmerican bison and a man with a bow and arrow,[5]: 8 while the Hudson River fountain has twomoose and a woman holding afishing net,[5]: 8 the Mississippi River fountain has a bear and a steer with a man holding a trident having killed an alligator,[5]: 9 and the Potomac River fountain has twoelk and a woman holding a paddle.[5]: 9 The four people depicted areNative Americans and are shown in a reclining position behind each fountain. The native animals are guarding the fountains on each side.[2][5]: 7–9
.jpg)
Other title: Washington Monument
President McKinley Will To-day Unveil the Monument Erected to the Memory of the Immortal Washington by the Society of the Cincinnati
