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Category Archives: Monuments and Statues
The lady was a princess
Statues are normally not what I would call sexy. But, I stand corrected before Crown Princess Martha of Norway. Martha was born a Swedish princess who married Prince Olav of Norway in 1929 at age 28. The princess along with … Continue reading
Remembering Fala – the First Dog
I’ve been a tour guide since 2010. I know a lot, but there are so many experienced guides who are walking encyclopedias of knowledge of our town. Still, one incident involving Fala the dog at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial … Continue reading
The other presidential assassination spot
Everyone goes to Ford’s Theatre to see where Abraham Lincoln died. And, thank goodness because that’s a big chunk of my tours. But, it’s not the only presidential assassination spot in town. James Garfield (my 10th cousin) was shot at … Continue reading
What’s the most photographed statue in town?
Nobody really knows, but if it’s not Abraham Lincoln at his memorial than it’s surely Andrew Jackson here in Lafayette Park. Why? First, it’s a great statue. Second, it’s right by the White House. Third, it’s a dynamite shot, especially … Continue reading
Firefighter monument suddenly No. 2
I’ve determined Washington Post columnist John Kelly secretly wishes he was a Washington tour guide. If not, he’d sure make a fine one. (Must be career wanderlust. As a Washington Post Express sports columnist, I always wanted to be a … Continue reading
The man behind two metro stops – David Farragut
David Farragut — you know the person much be important when two metro stops are named for him. David Farragut was a Civil War admiral who uttered the saying now paraphrased, “Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead.” He said it … Continue reading
Washington Circle remembers that Washington
It is perhaps the most overlooked statue in plain sight of the man for whom the city is named. Washington Circle by Foggy Bottom that intersects 23rd, K St., New Hampshire Ave. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW has a bronze equestrian … Continue reading
That’s Smithson . . . as in Smithsonian
Who’s the man in the bathtub? Wow, what am I going to do with you guys? That’s the remains of James Smithson as in the man that founded museums that bear his name. So what’s he doing in a bathtub? … Continue reading
The lady in white
It’s not often a statue gets center stage – twice. The Statue of Freedom lies atop the U.S. Capitol dome, but also inside the Capitol Visitors Center underneath. The statue shows the “Lady Freedom” with her right hand on a … Continue reading
John Carroll still overseeing his campus
Bishop John Carroll grew up in Upper Marlboro, Md., educated in Europe and returned to become the leader of American Catholics and establish Georgetown University. Why do students put toilet seats under the bronze statue on campus and place jack-o-lanters … Continue reading
Seabees Monument stands ready for action
The toughest men of World War II might have been the Navy Seabees. Created in March 1942 to construct whatever was needed in World War II, the “Construction Builders” were known as “CBs” and hence Seabees. These guys could build … Continue reading
Remembering the life of a child
The death of a child is certainly heartbreaking. It often makes for interesting memorials. Alice May Parker died in 1861 at age 12 of typhoid fever. At Congressional Cemetery, a praying angel the size of a child prays over her … Continue reading
Summerhouse been a quenching respite since 1880
Where can you go for a drink around the U.S. Capitol? Well, since 1880 or so The Summerhouse has always offered refreshment. Water, that is. The hexagonal red brick building on the west lawn of the Senate side has a … Continue reading
