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Author Archives: Rick
The curious cube of Congressional Cemetery
The black cube in Congressional Cemetery curiously placed at an angle will make you stop. The graves of Charles Fowler and Kenneth Dresser are marked with a cube just 50 yards on the right once entering the gate. Fowler was … Continue reading
It’s beginning to look like Christmas
Posted in Washington life
Tagged Best Washington DC walking tours, Georgetown, Photo by Rick Snider
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Whooping Cranes bring wilds to downtown
Walking down 16th & O Sts. NW, I was drawn to an unexpected one-acre park where a stainless steel sculpture of two 12-foot tall whooping cranes draw you in. Wait . . . what? Kent Ullberg created the cranes in … Continue reading
Posted in Washington life
Tagged Kent Ullberg, Photo by Rick Snider, Washington D.C., Whooping Cranes
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Lafayette – the Frenchman that Americans loved
The General Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette was a key figure in American winning its independence. Lafayette blocked the escape route of the British ships at Yorktown, thus forcing Gen. Cornwallis to surrender to George Washington. Lafayette stands atop a marble … Continue reading
Slow down to see Woodrow Wilson medallion
Not often is a memorial meant to be seen at 60 miles per hour. In fact, I went by it for 52 years before discovering it’s not a dime. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge connecting Maryland and Virginia is named after … Continue reading
James Garfield Memorial – my 6th cousin
The only thing I knew about James Garfield was he was once U.S. president. I would have struggled to write a fifth-grade report on him But coming across Garfield’s memorial on the U.S. Capitol grounds intrigued me into learning more. … Continue reading
The Chess Players: It’s not over until it’s over
I’m telling you, the player on the left could still win this match. Come on, take the castle already. This game has been going on for an eternity. Well, at least since 1983. The Chess Players is one of those … Continue reading
Remembering one of NASA’s own
From George Washington to the moon all within a few feet. Walking the path to colonial St. John’s Church has a historical marker saying the Episcopal church was erected in 1723 and our nation’s first president attended services there many … Continue reading
Posted in Memorials
Tagged Bernard Lee Johnson, Fort Washington Md., Photo by Rick Snider, St. John's Church
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The Concert makes you stop
I’ll admit to not knowing much about art, but I know what I like and “The Concert” by Dutch artist Gerrit Van Honthorst made me stop, sit and ponder. The 1623 oil painting hangs in the National Gallery of Art, … Continue reading
Save George Washington, get a statue – Casimir Pulaski
Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski was a Polish count who came to America to fight for freedom. He once saved George Washington’s life, but is best known for teaching American troops the discipline needed to fight the mighty British troops. Pulaski … Continue reading
Lincoln Cottage still a great respite
I have a secret – I’d never been to the Lincoln Cottage before taking a tour group. And it’s better than expected. Now I’ll leave the nuts and bolts to the website Lincolncottage.org. But a few things hit me during … Continue reading
A 3D map of town at your feet – Freedom Plaza
Freedom Plaza may be filled with skateboarding teenagers, lost tourists or protestors, but the Pennsylvania Ave. near 14th St. N.W. median is also a map of town’s original plan. The L’Enfant Map detailing the 1791 plan by Washington’s first city … Continue reading
We cannot tell a lie – GW’s birthplace is cool
Monumental Thoughts has a guest contributor – Megan Johnson. (Hey, we’re all for free labor.) A sprawling stretch of land along Popes Creek, Va., isn’t all that different today from when George Washington entered the world 284 years ago – … Continue reading
Giant pile of rocks dwarfed by the man underneath
What rocks atop graves means is the runaway most read post on a daily basis in the near three years of my blog. Rocks are a Jewish tradition stemming from the Bible where Rebecca is buried along the road to … Continue reading
The Hall family and the angel
Mary Ann Hall was a popular madam in Washington, running a bordello where the American Indian Museum now stands. It was said to be the classiest one in Washington during the Civil War. Mary Ann and a sister are buried … Continue reading
