The Daniel Webster Memorial is a monument in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, honoring U.S. statesman and lawyer

Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the 14th and 19th United States Secretary of State, U.S. secretary o ...

. It is located near Webster's former house, beside Scott Circle, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, N Street, and Rhode Island Avenue NW. The person who commissioned the memorial was Stilson Hutchins, founder of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', who greatly admired Webster.

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

approved the memorial in 1898 and the dedication ceremony took place in January 1900. Amongst the attendees at the ceremony were President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

and his cabinet, members of Congress, and Supreme Court justices. The 12-foot tall (3.7 m) bronze statue rests on an 18-foot (5.5 m) granite pedestal on the west side of Scott Circle. The statue depicts Webster as an orator. The pedestal features two

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s, one depicting the Webster–Hayne debate and the other Webster speaking at the

Bunker Hill Monument The Bunker Hill Monument is a monument erected at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, Massachusetts, which was among the first major battles between the United Colonies and the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War. The 2 ...

dedication ceremony. There are inscriptions describing Webster's life and the sculptor's name. The memorial was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP) and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 2007. It is also a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

to the

Sixteenth Street Historic District The Sixteenth Street Historic District is a linear Historic districts in the United States, historic district in Washington, D.C., that includes all structures along 16th Street NW between H Street (Washington, D.C.), H Street and Florida Avenue. ...

and the

L'Enfant Plan The L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington, D.C. is the urban plan developed in 1791 by Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant for George Washington, the first president of the United States. It is regarded as a landmark in urban design and h ...

, both of which are listed on the NRHP.

History

Subject and sculptor

(1782-1852) was a lawyer and politician who served in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

and

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and served as Secretary of State twice. He was known as a great statesman and orator, which he often demonstrated in the Senate and in front of the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. Some of the landmark cases Webster won in the Supreme Court include '' Dartmouth College v. Woodward'', '' McCulloch v. Maryland'', and '' Gibbons v. Ogden''. In total, Webster spent 23 years serving in

, and served as Secretary of State under Presidents

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president of the United States, vice president in 1841. He was elected ...

, and

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a De ...

. To honor Webster in the nation's capital, it was proposed to build a memorial to him somewhere in the city. Scott Circle, a traffic circle located a few block north of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

, already had the equestrian statue of Winfield Scott. There were two small lots on each side of the circle, and it was here where the memorial to Webster and the Samuel Hahnemann Monument would be located. The person responsible for the idea of a memorial was Stilson Hutchins, founder of ''

'', who lived near Scott Circle and was a native of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

like Webster. Hutchins greatly admired Webster and told members of Congress he would pay for a statue to honor the man. Congress approved the commission on July 1, 1898, and allocated $4,000 to build the pedestal. The architect chosen for the memorial is unknown, but the sculptor was Italian-American Gaetano Trentanove, whose other works in the city include the statue of Jacques Marquette in the

National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old Hal ...

and the Albert Pike Memorial. He attended academies in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

and

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

, before moving to the U.S. and later becoming a U.S. citizen. The founder for the project was Fonderia Galli, who also worked on the Pike memorial.

Dedication

The date chosen for the memorial dedication ceremony was January 18, 1900, exactly 118 years since Webster was born. The dedication took place at the Lafayette Square Opera House whilst the unveiling took place at the memorial site. Amongst the dignitaries in attendance were President

and his cabinet, members of Congress, and Supreme Court justices. The event began with a prayer from William Henry Milburn, a blind clergyman who was

Chaplain of the United States Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...

at the time. New Hampshire Senator William E. Chandler spoke on behalf of Congress, officially accepting the memorial. Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long accepted the memorial on behalf of the American people. Henry N. Couden, who was serving as Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives, delivered a benediction before the memorial was unveiled by Webster's great-grandon, Jerome Bonaparte, along with Hutchins' wife and a young lady, Katherine Deering.

Later history

On February 22, 2007, the memorial was added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites. It was listed on the

(NRHP) on October 12, 2007. The memorial is also designated a

to the

, listed on the NRHP on August 25, 1978, and the

, listed on April 24, 1997.

Location and design

Location

The Daniel Webster statue is located on Reservation 62, a small parcel of land on the west side of Scott Circle. On the opposite side of the circle in Reservation 64 is the Samuel Hahnemann Monument. The equestrian statue of Winfield Scott, in Reservation 63, stands in the middle of the circle. The three monuments create a bowtie effect with the layout of Scott Circle. Reservation 62 is at the intersection of N Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Rhode Island Avenue NW. The statue is facing east towards Scott Circle. The location of the statue is near Webster's former residence at 1603 Massachusetts Avenue NW.

Design

The bronze statue is approximately 12 feet tall (3.7 m), 4 feet wide (1.2 m), and 3 foot deep (0.9 m). It depicts Webster as an orator and, according to historian James Moore Goode, "The shoulders are thrown back in a defiant manner as if in answer to a challenge." Historian Eve L. Barsoum said his face "portrays an intensity and sternness, indicative of his litigious and oratory skills. Webster's right hand is holding a book, which rests on a stand. His clothing includes a long cape draped around his shoulders featuring epaulets. The rose granite pedestal is approximately 18 feet tall (5.5 m) and 14 feet (4.3 m) on each side. The memorial's total height is 30 feet and reflects

neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

. On the pedestal are two bronze

s, one on the west side and one on the east side, that portray pivotal moments of Webster's life. The bas-relief on the east side depicts the 1830 Webster–Hayne debate, a debate in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

between Webster and Robert Y. Hayne, and includes over 100 additional people in relief. The second bas-relief depicts Webster delivering a dedication speech from a flag-draped balcony at the

in 1843. There is a quote from the illustrated speeches above each bas-relief.

Inscription

The inscription reads:
G. Trentanove F. Galli Fuseri, Firenze 1898 Italia
(Front of base:)
DANIEL WEBSTER
LIBERTY AND UNION
NOW AND FOREVER
ONE AND INSEPARABLE
(Proper left bottom:)
BORN AT
SALISBURY, N.H.
JAN 18, 1782
DIED AT
MARSHFIELD MASS
OCT. 24, 1852
(Bottom rear:)
GIVEN BY STILLSON HUTCHINS
A NATIVE OF N.H.
DEDICATED JAN. 18, 1900
(Rear top:)
OUR COUNTRY
OUR WHOLE COUNTRY
AND NOTHING BUT
OUR COUNTRY
(Proper right, bottom:)
EXPOUNDER
AND DEFENDER
OF THE CONSTITUTION

References

External links

Details of the memorial dedication
''The Times'', January 19, 1900, pp 9-11 {{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, Daniel 1900 establishments in Washington, D.C. 1900 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C.

Memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...

District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites Embassy Row Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Washington, D.C. Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Neoclassical sculptures Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C. Sculptures of men in Washington, D.C. Dupont Circle