Equestrian statue of John A. Logan
38°54′35″N 77°01′47″W / 38.909644°N 77.029647°W | |
Equestrian statue of John A. Logan | |
Part of | Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C. |
---|---|
NRHP reference No. | 78000257[1] |
Added to NRHP | September 20, 1978[2] |
Location | Logan Circle, Washington, D.C., United States |
Designer | Franklin Simmons (sculptor) Richard Morris Hunt (architect) Fonderia Nelli (founder) Cranford Paving Company (contractor) |
Material | bronze (sculpture) bronze and granite (base) |
Length | 10 feet (3.0 m) |
Width | 4.05 feet (1.23 m) |
Height | 12 feet (3.7 m) |
Opening date | April 9, 1901 |
Dedicated to | John A. Logan |
Major General John A. Logan, also known as the General John A. Logan Monument and Logan Circle Monument, is an
The sculpture is one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., which were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The bronze sculpture rests on a bronze and granite base adorned with two reliefs depicting historically inaccurate moments in Logan's life. The monument and surrounding park are owned and maintained by the National Park Service, a federal agency of the Interior Department.
History
Background
Logan was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives and later to the U.S. Senate. In the 1884 presidential election, Logan unsuccessfully ran with Senator James G. Blaine as his vice presidential candidate, narrowly losing the race. During his time in office, Logan was considered one of the most vocal advocates for military veterans. He helped organize two veteran fraternal organizations, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and the Society of the Army of the Tennessee (SAT), and was instrumental in the federal government recognizing Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) as an official holiday, first celebrated in 1868.[3][4]
Soon after Logan's death in 1886, the SAT began work on erecting a monument to the military hero. The organization worked closely with the GAR and Logan's widow, Mary, to raise funds and lobby Congress for a monument. It would be the second equestrian monument in Washington, D.C., commissioned by the SAT, the first being the
The commission considered models by several sculptors before selecting Simmons in December 1892, whose model was the "most agreeable to Mrs. Logan." She admired not only the posture of Simmon's model, but his idea to have the statue rest on a bronze base, unlike other monuments in the city that featured granite bases. Mary also liked that Simmons and members of the commission would follow her recommendations for the
It only took Nelli three-and-a-half months to complete the process instead of the planned year. The Cranford Paving Company was contracted to prepare the site and lay the granite foundation. Simmons was not pleased with the company's work and new stone was ordered in September 1897. Following the new stone's placement, the base was installed on April 18, 1898. It wasn't until 1900 that Simmons completed the sculpture and it was cast in Rome.[3][6] Upon its completion, a ceremony attended by King Umberto I of Italy and his wife, Queen Margherita, was held at the foundry where Simmons was honored with knighthood.[3] The sculpture was shipped to the United States and arrived in Brooklyn in December 1900. Because the sculpture was too large to be transported by train, it was placed onto a two-masted schooner and arrived in Washington, D.C., on January 16, 1901. It was installed on top of the base one week later.[6]
The site chosen for the monument was the center of Iowa Circle, a park in an upscale neighborhood in the city's
Dedication
The monument was formally dedicated on April 9, 1901.
McKinley, the last Civil War veteran to occupy the White House, gave an address which included the following remarks: "It is a good token when patriots are honored and patriotism exalted. Monuments which express the nation's gratitude for great deeds inspire great deeds. The statue unveiled today proclaims our country's appreciation of one of her heroic sons whose name is dear to the American people, the ideal volunteer soldier of two wars, the eminent senator and commoner, General John A. Logan." Following the president's speech, Depew also gave an address. His remarks included: "The history of our country is condensed in the Revolutionary and civil wars. As Washington stands out in the first of our crucial contests, so does Lincoln in the second. About Lincoln cluster Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Logan, McPherson, and a host of other heroes...Among those successful Americans in many lines who have won and held the public eye and died mourned by all their countrymen, there will live in the future in the history of the Republic no nobler figure, in peace and in war, in the pursuits of the citizen, and in work for the welfare of his fellow citizens, than General John A. Logan." Cullom then read a letter from Illinois governor Richard Yates Jr., who was unable to attend, which paid tribute to Logan and noted how proud the state's citizens were of the Illinois native. The ceremony concluded following the benediction by Reverence J. G. Butler.[9]
Reception
Initial reception to the statue was very positive.[3] The New York Times described it as producing "an impression of dignity, beauty, and power."[9] But in the weeks following the dedication ceremony, praise turned to criticism and reporters noted "absurdities" in the relief panels. They noted that the relief depicting Logan gathered with other Civil War leaders plotting strategy together was very unlikely. The second panel, depicting Logan being sworn in as senator by Vice President Chester A. Arthur was called "impossible" and "ridiculous." Logan was sworn into the Senate in 1879 and Arthur himself was not sworn in as vice president until 1881. Two of the senators depicted in that relief were not sworn in until 1882 and 1884, respectively, and another one died in 1877. Mary Logan initially took credit for selecting the scenes depicted in the reliefs and received all of the blame when the errors were discovered. In a heated letter to the Evening Star, she said the reliefs were not meant to be historically accurate: "Of course, we knew all this, but we disregarded it because we wanted these panels to portray the most prominent men of the history of the country who were in the Senate during the 16 years that my husband was Senator." She added to reproduce historically accurate scenes would have been "absurd."[3]
Later history
In 1930, Congress renamed Iowa Circle in honor of Logan, who had briefly lived at 4 Logan Circle in 1885.[7] The statue is one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., that were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on September 20, 1978, and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on March 3, 1979. It is also designated a contributing property to the Logan Circle Historic District, listed on the NRHP on June 30, 1972, and the Fourteenth Street Historic District, listed on the NRHP on November 9, 1994.[2] The monument and surrounding park are owned and maintained by the National Park Service, a federal agency of the Interior Department.[6]
Design and location
The monument is sited in the center of Logan Circle, a 1.8 acre (0.73 ha) public park and traffic circle in the Logan Circle neighborhood at the convergence of 13th Street,
The bronze equestrian statue measures 12 ft (3.7 m) tall, 10 ft (3.0 m) long, and 4.05 ft (1.23 m) wide. It weighs approximately 11,000 lb (5,000 kg). Logan is depicted with collar-length hair and a moustache, wearing his Civil War military uniform; a long belted jacket, boots, gloves, and a hat. He holds the horse's reins with his left hand and his right hand holds his sword, pointed downward. The horse is striding forward, with its right foot raised. The inscriptions "FOND. NELLI ROMA 1897" and "FRANKLIN SIMMONS" are found on the statue.[6]
The statue rests on a rectangular bronze base which is itself on top of a low granite base. The base is 30 ft (9.1 m) high, 22 ft (6.7 m) long, and 3 ft (0.91 m) wide. It weighs approximately 35,000 lb (16,000 kg). A
See also
- List of equestrian statues in the United States
- List of public art in Washington, D.C., Ward 2
- Outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#78000257)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites" (PDF). District of Columbia Office of Planning – Historic Preservation Office. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9780801858611.
- ^ ISBN 0-87474-149-1.
- ^ a b Scott, Gary (September 19, 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form – Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C." National Park Service. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Major General John A. Logan, (sculpture)". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9780738514048.
- ^ a b Historic American Buildings Survey. "Logan Circle" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "John A. Logan Statue Given to the Nation" (PDF). The New York Times. April 10, 1901. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
External links
- Media related to John A. Logan Memorial at Wikimedia Commons