Virginia Washington Monument facts for kids
Virginia Washington Monument
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Location | Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia |
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Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1849–1869 |
Architect | Thomas Crawford (sculptor), Randolph Rogers (sculptor) |
Architectural style | Greek Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 03001421 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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Added to NRHP | January 15, 2004 |
The Virginia Washington Monument, also known as the Washington Monument, is a 19th-century neoclassical statue of George Washington located on the public square in Richmond, Virginia. It is the terminus for Grace Street. The cornerstone of the monument was laid in 1850 and it became the second equestrian statue of Washington to be unveiled in the United States (following the one in Union Square, New York City, unveiled in 1856). It was not completed until 1869.
Description
The Washington Monument features a 21-foot (6.4 m), 18,000-pound (8,200 kg) bronze statue of George Washington on horseback. The base of the monument (finished after the American Civil War) includes statues of six other noted Virginians who took part in the American Revolution: Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Andrew Lewis, John Marshall, George Mason, and Thomas Nelson Jr.. On February 22, 1862, the monument was the location for the second inauguration of the President and Vice President of the Confederate States. The presidential oath of office was administered to Jefferson Davis by Judge J.D. Halyburton and the vice presidential oath to Alexander H. Stephens by senate president R.M.T. Hunter.