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It's been a long time since I added some statues. I finally got back to business.
Some of the recent additions are downtown that I have been meaning to photograph and map since last year, like Samuel Hahnemann. I have no idea why there's a statue to him in DC at that particular location.
When I rode by this statue at the beginning of this project, two loud drunken homeless guys were sitting in front on the sculptured bench. Roberta and I didn't really want to start taking photos, so I vowed to return. Notice the pillow in one of the photos. I think the other side of the statue is someone's living area.
I also made a few new discoveries, like "Rawlins," just Rawlins.
I now know he is General John Aaron Rawlins, a Union Civil War general. I also came across a statue of General Jose de San Martin, liberator of Argentina, also a figure I had never heard of. It has been a pleasant surprise how many early 19th century Latin American liberators have statues in DC.
I also re-visited statues. In a few cases, by the time I got home, I was unclear about their location. This time I brought pen and paper, took notes, and drew little maps.
I then crossed the Mall to photograph the statute of inventor John Ericsson. I noticed this statue months ago, but just haven't made the effort to the dirty work.
Next on my agenda was Ward of Ward Circle fame. When I went to law school, I saw this statue a thousand times. It is possible that the idea for this whole project could have something to do with the mystery of this Ward character. The internet was just becoming something to use, but it didn't really occur to me to just look him up. After reading his biography, he's fairly underwhelming for a dude with his own circle and statue.
Anyhow, from near the Lincoln Memorial I rode along the river to Georgetown and entered the Capitol Crescent Trail to Montgomery County. I then took Mass Ave towards DC. On a previous drive on Mass Ave a few weeks ago, I thought I saw a statue 3 or 4 blocks from my old law school. So on this ride I made sure to stop by and take a look. I found John Wesley.
As a Wesleyan educated guy, I was pleased to have found him. Maybe it's a new statue, but I had never seen it when I lived and went to school in that area. The statue had a nice bench under some trees, so I took some time to drink and have a snack before climbing the hill to Ward Circle and photographing Artemas Ward.
By the time I climbed up to Wisconsin Avenue, I was pretty tired. I caught a glimpse of the National Cathedral. Should I just go downhill towards home? Should I explore some more? I didn't really feel like finding out later that there were statues by the Cathedral, so I explored the cathedral grounds on my bike. Lo and behold, I discovered an equestrian statue a flight of stairs down! I found a paved way down and saw an unlabeled statue.
Online sources indicate that the statute is of a young George Washington. I was hoping for Henry VIII, it being an Episcopalian, nee Anglican, church.
Down down down Mass Ave I went, and found another person I had not heard of--Princess Martha of Norway--and took pictures of Khalil Gibran and Winston Churchill before discovering Robert Emmet (who's that? An Irish patriot, 1778-1804) and St. Jerome in front of the Croatian Embassy.
I then headed over to Connecticut Ave to get McClellan's bronze. I headed east to Adams Morgan, through Logan Circle (finally!), and to downtown to fill in some gaps. After Lafayette Park to get Tadeusz Kościuszko, I was done. My water had run out and it was hot. I was probably on the road for about 4 hours.
Next statues:
John Philip Sousa in Southeast inside the grounds of the Marine barracks.
Thanks to Smitty, I know know of the Francis Asbury statue up in Columbia Heights. I'll have to stop by the Taqueria Distrito Federal.
I'd like like to check out the arsenal memorial in Congressional Cemetary near the Anacostia River before declaring Mission Accomlished.
As always, let me know if I'm missing anything.
