The Peace Monument, also known as the Navy Monument, Naval Monument or Navy-Peace Monument, stands on the western edge of the

United States Capitol Complex The United States Capitol Complex is a group of twenty buildings, grounds, and facilities in Washington, D.C., that are used by the United States Congress, and federal courts. The buildings and grounds within the complex are managed and supervi ...

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 ...

It is in the middle of Peace Circle, where First Street and

Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...

NW intersect. The surrounding area is Union Square, which the monument shares with the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, James A. Garfield Monument, and the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The front of the monument faces west towards the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institu ...

while the east side faces the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

. The idea of a monument honoring men who fought in the Union Navy during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

was spearheaded by Admiral

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral (United States), admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ...

, who wanted the monument to stand in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

, where his father, Commodore David Porter, had assisted in the installation of the Tripoli Monument. Due to an uneasy relationship between the younger Porter and Secretary of the Navy

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878) was an American government official who was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Althou ...

, the monument was not installed in Annapolis. Porter lobbied

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 ...

and an additional $20,000 was allocated to build the base. This was in addition to the $9,000 Porter raised amongst naval personnel and private citizens. Porter chose Franklin Simmons to sculpt the monument's statues, one of many works in Washington, D.C., by Simmons. Architect of the Capitol Edward Clark designed the base. Pieces of the monument began to arrive in 1876, and the final piece arrived in January 1878. Unlike most of the city's war monuments, there was no formal dedication ceremony. The monument is made of Carrara marble, which has led to numerous restorations, since that type of marble is not meant to be outside in the elements. The monument is high and is long on each side. There were additional pieces that were to be installed, including decorative lampposts and water features, but either due to funding or Welles' intervention, the monument remained unfinished. The monument has become a gathering place during protests and rallies, leading to further deterioration of the marble. People protesting against the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, the

Three Mile Island accident The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor (TMI-2) of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, located on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Londonderry T ...

, and the

murder of George Floyd On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...

, have gathered at the monument. It was also a site where rioters gathered before the

January 6 United States Capitol attack On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of Donald Trump, President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup,Multiple sources: * * * * * * * * * * * * * two months afte ...

. The Peace Monument is 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 four listings 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 ...

and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites: the National Mall Historic District, the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, the collective listing of Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C., 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 ...

. Ownership of the monument was transferred in 1973 to the

Architect of the Capitol The Architect of the Capitol is the Federal government of the United States, federal Government agency, agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. It is an agency of t ...

, which has performed several cleaning and restoration projects since that time.

History

Memorial plans and installation

After the

, there were plans to erect a significant number of memorials in

, honoring men who served in the Union Army. Admiral

wanted to also honor Union Navy sailors amongst the memorials. Porter had started planning for a memorial in 1864 after Union forces captured Fort Fisher. His father, Commodore David Porter, had also led a movement to honor

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

sailors who fought in the

Barbary Wars The Barbary Wars were a series of two wars fought by the United States, Sweden, and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Barbary states (including Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli) and Morocco of North Africa in the early 19th century. Sweden had bee ...

. His father's memorial, the Tripoli Monument, was originally placed in the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

, but it was moved to

, in 1860. Porter Jr. was selected to lead the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

after the war. It was there, in 1865, that he began making serious plans for the Civil War monument. Porter raised money for his project via naval personnel and private citizens. By 1871, he had raised $9,000, and sketched what the monument should look like. No competition to design the monument was held, as Porter directly selected Franklin Simmons to sculpt the work. Simmons was known for his works in Washington, D.C., including the equestrian statue of John A. Logan and his many busts and statues in the Capitol. Porter had probably seen Simmons' works since the latter had moved to Washington, D.C., in the 1860s. Simmons had also already designed one Civil War monument located in

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ) is the List of municipalities in Maine, second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, Augusta, the sta ...

. Porter gave Simmons his sketch for the monument, and insisted it be made of Carrara marble. After fundraising was complete, Simmons began carving the commission at his art studio in Rome.

, Secretary of the Navy, was angry that he was not consulted on the matter. The two men had a tumultuous relationship; Porter knew Welles would have rejected the idea. After Porter lobbied members of

in 1872, the federal government approved the monument and allocated $20,000 for the base. Porter wanted the monument to be placed in Annapolis, where his father's monument was located, but Welles said no. The Congress found a better location for the monument, near the

complex. An

Act of Congress An act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

passed on July 31, 1876, allowing for the monument to be erected on the proposed site. The following year, Simmons began shipping pieces of the monument to Washington, D.C., on a boat named ''Supply''. Architect of the Capitol Edward Clark designed the granite base and most pieces of the monument were installed in 1877. The statue of ''Peace'' was added to the monument in January 1878. Unlike many other Civil War memorials erected at the time, the Naval Monument (later renamed the Peace Monument by the press), did not receive an elaborate dedication with a parade and speeches from prominent individuals. This may be in part to the bad blood between Porter and Welles, or the fact the monument was not actually finished. Decorative lampposts and elaborate water features were never completed, possibly due to lack of funding. One writer mentioned the parts that were never installed: "Cascades flow from the mouths of bronze dolphins in the sub-base, and four artistic lamp posts stand at the rim of the basin."

Later history

The monument is a

to four listings on the

(NRHP) and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (DCIHS). The National Mall Historic District was listed on the DCIHS on November 8, 1964, and the NRHP on October 15, 1966. The Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site was listed on the NRHP on October 15, 1966, and the DCIHS on June 19, 1973. The monument is one of eighteen sculptures, fountains, and other memorials related to the Civil War, which were collectively listed on the NRHP on September 20, 1978, and the DCIHS on March 3, 1979. The fourth and final listing is the

, listed on the DCIHS on January 19, 1971, and the NRHP on April 24, 1997. During the 1970s, people scaled the monument during protests against the

and the aftermath of the

. In 1973, ownership of the monument transferred to the

as part of the United States Capitol grounds. By that time the monument was in serious need of repairs and cleaning. There were pieces missing, as well as lichen and grime on the monument. The marble type used to build the monument is not accustomed to being outdoors, exposed to the elements. After many tests and observations, the monument was cleaned in 1991, a year after masonry and other parts were repaired. Fissures were filled, missing pieces replaced, and a stone consolidant was applied to everything that was marble. Additional cleaning took place in 1999 and 2010. In 1999, ''

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 ...

'' reporter DeNeen L. Brown noted the monument "was missing feet, arms and facial features, eaten away by wind and acid rain and damaged by frequent protesters." The monument was vandalized by unknown assailants during the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...

with spray-painted messages like "BLM," "all pigs will die," and "capitalism must fall." The monument was power washed by Architect of the Capitol employees afterwards. Before the

in 2021, members of the

Proud Boys The Proud Boys is an American far-right politics, far-right, Neo-fascism, neo-fascist militant organization that promotes and engages in political violence.Far-right: * * Fascist: * * * * * Men only: * * * Political violence and militancy: ...

and other rioters gathered around the monument. It is also where flowers and flags were left after the death of

United States Capitol Police The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States an ...

officer Brian Sicknick, who died from two strokes after the attack. In 2022, art and architecture critic

Philip Kennicott Philip Kennicott is the chief Art and Architecture Critic of ''The Washington Post.'' Education Kennicott was raised in Schenectady, New York, where he studied piano with composer and pianist Joseph Fennimore. In 1983, he attended Deep Sprin ...

called for a national memorial to victims of

gun violence in the United States Gun violence is a term of political, economic and sociological interest referring to the tens of thousands of annual firearms-related deaths and injuries occurring in the United States. In 2016, a U.S. male aged 15–24 was 70 times more likely ...

. He said the best location would be at the foot of the Capitol, between the Peace Monument and James A. Garfield Monument.

Location and design

The Peace Monument is located on Reservation 202A in Union Square, along with the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, James A. Garfield Monument, and Capitol Reflecting Pool. The square is on the west side of the

, which borders the eastern edge of the National Mall. The Peace Monument is in the middle of Peace Circle where First Street and

NW intersect. The monument's name has several varieties, including the original Navy Monument, the Naval Monument, and Navy-Peace Monument. The monument measures high and is long on each side. The entire monument is made of Carrara marble, which has required long-term maintenance since that type of marble is not intended for outdoor purposes. The sculptures at the top of the monument face west and depict ''America'' crying on the shoulder of ''History'', both of whom are wearing classical robes. ''America'' is crying due to the lives lost during the Civil War. ''History'' has a stylus and a tablet which reads, "They died that their country might live." On the west side of the monument's second tier is ''Victory'' holding an oak branch in her left hand. ''Neptune'' and ''Mars'' are depicted as small children holding weaponry. In addition to the branch, ''Victory'' is holding a laurel wreath with her right hand. Further down the base is the

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

basin which is on all sides of the monument. The east side of the monument, facing the Capitol, features a topless statue of ''Peace''. She is wearing a robe that she holds with her left arm and her right hand is holding an olive branch. There are two

cherub A cherub (; : cherubim; ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'') is one type of supernatural being in the Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles, such as protecting the entrance of the Garden of ...

s at her feet. Also by her feet is a dove resting on wheat, symbolizing ''Agriculture'' and ''Plenty'', and on the other side of her feet are ''Science'', ''Literature'', and ''Art'' emblems. File:The Peace Monument (4919742531).jpg, Peace Monument in 1919 File:US Capitol, Washington, DC (19600002).jpg, ''America'' and ''History'' at the top of the monument File:Peace Monument 5.jpg, South side of the monument File:Detail of the Peace Monument, Washington, D.C..jpg, ''Peace'' on the east side of the monument File:Peace Monument 1.jpg, The traffic circle where the monument stands

References

External links