Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial
The Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial is a public artwork in Washington, D.C., honoring Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson, founder of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans’ organization. Also known as Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson, the memorial stands in Indiana Plaza at the intersection of 7th Street and Indiana and Pennsylvania Avenues NW in the Penn Quarter neighborhood. Its bronze figures were sculpted by J. Massey Rhind and are arranged on a triangular granite shaft set on a concrete base. The monument was dedicated in 1909, with President William Howard Taft, Senator William Warner, and many Union veterans in attendance. It is one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., and is maintained by the National Park Service.
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Identification | |
| Title | Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial |
| Type | Public artwork; memorial; Civil War monument |
| Alternative name | Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson |
| Original-language name | Monumento conmemorativo al Gran Ejército de la República de Stephenson |
Historical context | |
| Organization commemorated | Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a veterans organization for Union veterans |
| Part of | One of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C. |
| Purpose | To honor Benjamin F. Stephenson, founder of the Grand Army of the Republic |
Creator | |
| Architectural firm | Rankin, Kellogg & Crane |
| Foundation contractor | P. R. Pullman and Company |
| Contractor | William Gray & Sons |
| Immigration to the United States | 1889 |
| Sculptor nationality | Scottish-American |
| Sculptor | J. Massey Rhind |
| Foundry | Roman Bronze Works |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Commissioned by | The Grand Army of the Republic, at the urging of General Charles Partridge and the National Tribune |
| Funding | GAR members raised $35,000; the U.S. Congress appropriated an additional $10,000 on March 4, 1907 |
| Site selection | Selected by a commission appointed by Congress |
| Commission members | Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson; Senator George P. Wetmore; Representative Samuel W. McCall; General Louis Wagner; Thomas S. Hopkins |
Physical characteristics | |
| Form | Tall triangular granite shaft on a concrete base |
| Reliefs count | Three bronze reliefs, one on each side of the shaft |
Materials | |
| Materials | Bronze; granite; concrete |
Appearance | |
| Northeast relief | A woman in a long robe and cape protecting a small child, with the inscription CHARITY |
| Southeast relief | A woman holding a shield and an unsheathed sword, with the inscription LOYALTY |
| Front relief | West side relief showing a Union Army soldier and a Union Navy sailor symbolizing fraternity, with the inscription FRATERNITY; below it is a bronze relief bust of Stephenson in military uniform in a circular niche decorated with foliage, with an inscription flanked by GAR emblems |
| Depicted figures | Stephenson and allegorical figures |
| Iconography | Three figures representing the GAR motto 'Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty' |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Motto represented | Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty |
Location and ownership | |
| Maintenance | National Park Service |
| Agency affiliation | A federal agency of the Department of the Interior |
| Ownership | National Park Service |
| Site surroundings | The east side is bounded by the historic Central National Bank and National Bank of Washington, Washington Branch |
| Nearby landmark | Temperance Fountain, directly north of the memorial |
| Site description | A small circular plaza across from the Archives Metro station, bounded by 7th Street to the west, Indiana Avenue to the north, and Pennsylvania Avenue to the south, with magnolia trees, ivy, and decorative lampposts at the three entrances |
| Current location | Indiana Plaza (Reservation 36A), Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C., United States |
History and restoration | |
| Parade route | From the District of Columbia City Hall, past the monument, west on Pennsylvania Avenue to the Treasury Building, ending at 15th Street and New York Avenue |
| Site condition | The soil at the chosen site could not support the monument's weight, so the concrete base had to be expanded |
| Current visibility | Visible at the terminus of C Street |
| Relocated with | Temperance Fountain |
| Reason for relocation | Indiana Plaza was created by closing part of C Street, narrowing Indiana Avenue, and adding landscaping, which required moving the memorial and the nearby Temperance Fountain |
| Relocation year | 1987 |
| Dedication speaker | Colonel Henry M. Nevius, commander-in-chief of the GAR |
| Parade marshal | Brigadier General William Wallace Wotherspoon |
| Music at dedication | The Marine Band played 'Tenting on the Old Camp Ground' while veterans sang |
| President's role at dedication | Taft paid tribute to veterans and accepted the memorial on behalf of the American people |
| Dedication speech theme | The sacrifices made by Union forces during the Civil War |
| Dedication attendees | President William Howard Taft; Senator William Warner; J. Massey Rhind; hundreds of Union veterans, many in military uniforms |
| Dedication time | 2:30 pm |
| Dedication date | July 3, 1909 |
Significance | |
| National Register listing | Collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1978 as one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C. |
| District of Columbia inventory listing | Listed on March 3, 1979 |
| Historic district designation | Contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, established September 30, 1965 |