Virginia Washington Monument

{{For|other monuments dedicated to George Washington|List of monuments dedicated to George Washington}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Virginia Washington Monument

| nrhp_type =

| designated_other1 = Virginia Landmarks Register

| designated_other1_date = June 18, 2003{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|access-date=19 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053819/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

| designated_other1_number = 127-0189

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| image = Virginia Washington Monument 2011.JPG

| caption =

| location = Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia

| coordinates = {{coord|37|32|21|N|77|26|4|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Virginia#USA

| built = 1849–1869

| architect = Thomas Crawford (sculptor), Randolph Rogers (sculptor)

| architecture = Greek Revival

| added = January 15, 2004

| area = less than one acre

| refnum = 03001421{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

}}

The Virginia Washington Monument, known locally simply as the Washington Monument, is a 19th-century neoclassical statue of George Washington located on the public square in Richmond, Virginia.

Description

The Washington Monument features a {{convert|21|ft|m|adj=on}}, {{convert|18000|lb|kg|adj=on}} bronze statue of George Washington on horseback. Below Washington, (finished after the American Civil War) includes statues of six other noted Virginians who took part in the American Revolution: Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Andrew Lewis, John Marshall, George Mason, and Thomas Nelson Jr.{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places nomination |url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0189_George_Washington_Equestrian_Statue_2004_Final_Nomination.pdf |access-date=5 June 2012 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}} The lowest level has six bronze female allegorical figures (muses / graces) that represent the ideas of "Colonial Times" (wielding an ax), "Finance" (wielding a ledger book), "Independence" (with broken shackles), "Bill of Rights" (wielding a sword) and "Revolution" (wielding a sword and crushing a king's crown underfoot).{{Cite web |last=Townes |first=Meghan |date=2019 |title=Statue Stories: George Washington's Statue Of The Deathless Name |url=https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/blog/2019/12/13/statue-stories-george-washingtons-statue-of-the-deathless-name/ |access-date=2021-08-13 |website=The UncommonWealth: Voices from the Library of Virginia}}

On April 30, 1863, Elements of George Washington on horseback on the monument were incorporated into the Seal of the Confederate States of America.{{cite book |author= |editor-last=Matthews |editor-first=James M. |date=1863 |title=The Statutes at Large of the Confederate States of America, Passed at the Third Session of the First Congress; 1863 |url=https://archive.org/stream/statutesatlargeo22conf#page/166/mode/2up/search/%22the+Seal+of+the+Confederate+States%22 |location=Richmond |publisher=R. M. Smith, Printer to Congress |page=167 |ol=25389078M}}

History

It was designed by Thomas Crawford (1814-1857) and completed under the supervision of Randolph Rogers (1825-1892) after Crawford's death. It is the terminus for Grace Street. The cornerstone of the monument was laid in 1850 and it became the second equestrian statue of Washington to be unveiled in the United States (following the one in Union Square, New York City, unveiled in 1856). It was not completed until 1869.

On February 22, 1862, the monument was the location for the second inauguration of the president and vice president of the Confederate States. The presidential oath of office was administered to Jefferson Davis by Judge J.D. Halyburton and the vice presidential oath to Alexander H. Stephens by senate president R.M.T. Hunter.{{cite book |author= |url=https://archive.org/details/programmeforinau00conf?q=%22statue+of+Washington+on+the+Public+Square%22 |title=Programme for the Inauguration of the President and Vice-President of the Confederate States |date=1862 |page=2 |ol=24601341M}}