Adams Memorial (Saint-Gaudens) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Adams Memorial
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

The Adams Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Stanford White
Location in District of Columbia
Location	Rock Creek Cemetery Webster St. and Rock Creek Church Rd., NW. Washington, D.C.
Built	1891
Architect	Augustus Saint-Gaudens Stanford White
NRHP reference No.	72001420
Added to NRHP	March 16, 1972

The Adams Memorial is a special grave marker in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.. It honors Marian Hooper Adams and Henry Adams. The memorial features a bronze sculpture created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

The sculpture shows a figure covered in a robe, sitting calmly. It rests against a large granite block. This block is part of a six-sided area designed by architect Stanford White. Across from the statue, there's a stone bench where visitors can sit. Tall, dense trees surround the whole memorial, giving it a peaceful, private feeling.

History of the Adams Memorial
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History of the Adams Memorial

Why the Memorial Was Built

The Adams Memorial was put up in 1891. It was ordered by Henry Adams, a famous writer and historian. He was part of the important Adams political family. Henry Adams wanted this memorial to remember his wife, Marian "Clover" Hooper Adams.

Inspiration for the Sculpture

Henry Adams gave Saint-Gaudens an idea for the sculpture. He told him to look at old Buddhist art. One important figure in Buddhist art is Kannon, also known as Guan Yin. Kannon is a Bodhisattva of compassion, often shown sitting and draped in cloth.

A painting of Kannon by Kanō Motonobu was very important. This painting was shown to Saint-Gaudens by John LaFarge. It helped Saint-Gaudens imagine and design the sculpture.

Henry Adams had traveled to Japan with John LaFarge. He wanted the memorial to mix different ideas. He liked the calm, still look of Buddhist figures. He also wanted the robe to look like a flowing waterfall, like Kannon's. The monument combines ideas of male and female. It also blends Asian and European art styles.

Marian Adams didn't like grand monuments. So, this memorial was designed to be a "countermonument." It's different from typical heroic statues. Saint-Gaudens might also have been inspired by grave art he saw in Paris, France.

The Sculpture's Name

Augustus Saint-Gaudens gave his bronze figure a long name: The Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding. However, people often called it Grief. Henry Adams really disliked this name.

In a letter from 1908, Henry Adams asked Saint-Gaudens's son not to let people name the figure. He said his father wanted the sculpture to ask a question, not give an answer. He believed that anyone who tried to give it a simple answer would be wrong.

Henry Adams wrote about the statue in his book, The Education of Henry Adams. He said that when he saw it, he didn't question its meaning. He thought its meaning was a very old, simple idea. He noticed that many tourists came to see the figure. They all wanted to know what it meant. Adams felt that Saint-Gaudens, like other great artists, simply showed a reflection of life.

Later Recognition

When Saint-Gaudens died, the Adams Memorial was already famous. It was seen as a very important piece of American sculpture. Its popularity even led to copies being made. One well-known copy is called the Black Aggie.

On March 16, 1972, the Adams Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical places in the United States.