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James Buchanan Memorial

Coordinates: 38°55′11″N 77°02′06″W / 38.91968°N 77.03497°W / 38.91968; -77.03497
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James Buchanan Memorial
James Buchanan Memorial in 2012
James Buchanan Memorial in 2012
LocationMeridian Hill Park, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°55′11″N 77°02′06″W / 38.91968°N 77.03497°W / 38.91968; -77.03497
Built1930
ArchitectHans Schuler (sculptor)
William Gordon Beecher (architect)
Roman Bronze Works (foundry)
Part ofMeridian Hill Park Historic District
NRHP reference No.74000273
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 25, 1974
Designated DCIHSNovember 8, 1964

The James Buchanan Memorial is a bronze and granite memorial in the southeast corner of Meridian Hill Park Northwest, Washington, D.C. It was designed by architect William Gorden Beecher, and sculpted by Maryland artist Hans Schuler. Commissioned in 1916, but not approved by the U.S. Congress until 1918, it was completed and unveiled June 26, 1930. The memorial features a statue of Buchanan bookended by male and female classical figures representing law and diplomacy, engraved with text from a member of Buchanan's cabinet, Jeremiah S. Black:"The incorruptible statesman whose walk was upon the mountain ranges of the law." The memorial in the nation's capital complemented an earlier monument, constructed in 1907–08 and dedicated in 1911, on the site of Buchanan's birthplace in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.

History

Biography

James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791, in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania. He attended Dickinson College and graduated in 1809. Buchanan showed a keen interest in law and was admitted to the bar in 1812. During the War of 1812, Buchanan was one of the early volunteers to fight the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Following the war, Buchanan was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served for two years. Five year later in 1821, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for ten years. After his tenure in the House, Buchanan served as U.S. Minister to Russia from 1832-1833.[1]

Buchanan was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1834 and served until 1845 when he was chosen to be U.S. Secretary of State. He served in that role until 1849 and was chosen to be Minister to the United Kingdom. Buchanan was elected to be President of the United States in 1857. He only served one term and his presidency is considered one of the worst in U.S. history.[2]

Historian Edward L. Widmer described Buchanan's presidency as the following: "Repeatedly, he made terrible decisions, and when presented with various options, pursued the most extreme pro-slavery position (despite the fact that he came from Pennsylvania). He chose a Cabinet dominated by corrupt slave owners who lined their own pockets and stole government assets. When crises came, he had no answers, because he didn’t think the federal government should intervene. As more people questioned his choices, he angrily dismissed their criticism." The biggest failure of his presidency is often cited to be his inability to avert the Civil War.[2]

Memorial

Planning

A photograph of Harriet Lane
Harriet Lane bequeathed funds to erect the memorial of her uncle

Harriet Lane was the niece of Buchanan, and since Buchanan was a bachelor, acted as First Lady of the United States during his presidency. In her will, Lane bequeathed $100,000 for the federal government to erect a memorial of her uncle. There was a stipulation that it had to be accepted by U.S. Congress within 15 years of her death, or the money would return to her estate.[3][4] In January 1916, Senator Blair Lee I introduced a joint resolution to erect a memorial to Buchanan.[5]

Later that year, the United States Commission of Fine Arts approved the memorial's design.[6] In December 1916, the Pennsylvania Society at Perpetual Hall asked Congress to pass the resolution to erect the memorial, honoring the only president who was from Pennsylvania at that time.[7]

There was a contentious debate amongst members of Congress who supported a memorial or those who strongly opposed. From 1916 to 1918, there was a concerted effort to stop a resolution passing Congress. Amongst the members of Congress who fought against the memorial were Representative Clarence B. Miller and Senators Irvine Lenroot, Reed Smoot, and Henry Cabot Lodge.[4][8] Miller stated "I would like someone to tell me, if he can, what distinguished services Buchanan rendered anybody that will justify erecting a monument costing the enormous sum of $100,000 to be paid for by anybody, in Meridian Hill Park, one of the showplaces-to-be of the land." Lenroot said "The best thing we can do for Mr. Buchanan is to forget him."[8]

Despite this opposition, on June 27, 1918, Congress passed the legislation to erect the memorial, with the House of Representatives voting 217 to 142 and the Senate voting 51 to 11.[9] President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill into law that same day.[10] The statue was sculpted by Hans Schuler. William Gordon Beecher was the project's architect and Roman Bronze Works acted as the founder.[11][12] In July 1929, the statue was delivered to Washington, D.C., after the two statues on each end of the memorial had arrived. At that time, the memorial dedication was planned to occur in October of that year.[13] Due to the bureaucratic debates about the memorial, and delays in construction of Meridian Hill Park, the dedication ceremony did not take place until June 26, 1930.[14]

Dedication

Dedication ceremony for the James Buchanan Memorial
The memorial's dedication ceremony

Amongst those in attendance at the dedication ceremony were government officials, including Secretaries Andrew Mellon and Dwight F. Davis, and many Pennsylvanians. The invocation was given by Godfrey Chabot, pastor of Sixth Presbyterian Church. The opening statement from Lawrason Riggs, who was a trustee of the Buchanan Memorial Fund, was followed by the unveiling of the statue by one of Buchanan's cousins. During the unveiling, the United States Marine Band played and a member of the American Legion sang the national anthem. The sculptor and architect were then acknowledged. Ambassador Roland S. Morris formally presented the memorial to the U.S. government and gave a biographical speech about Buchanan. This was followed by President Herbert Hoover speaking to the crowd about Buchanan's life and his many years of service to the government. The audience then sang My Country, 'Tis of Thee, homing pigeons were released, and wreaths were laid. The benediction was given by Bishop William Fraser McDowell.[15]

Later history

The Buchanan memorial is the largest monument in Meridian Hill Park and the city's only memorial to the former president. The memorial is one of several works in the park. The others are Serenity by Josep Clarà, Dante Alighieri by Ettore Ximenes, and an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc by Paul Dubois, the only equestrian statue of a woman in Washington, D.C.[16]

The memorial is a contributing property to the Meridian Hill Park Historic District, a National Historic Landmark. The historic district was listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, and the National Register of Historic Places on October 25, 1974.[17]

Location and design

James Buchanan Memorial
James Buchanan Memorial in 2009

The memorial is located on the southeast corner of Meridian Hill Park, near the park's reflecting pool, in an area where Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, and the U Street Corridor intersect.[9] The statue of Buchannan is bronze, but has faded to green due to patina. The closest street intersection is 15th and W Streets NW and the memorial is on the righthand side when entering the park from the south.[4] The statue on each end of the memorial are granite, and the base is Milfor pink marble.[12]

Buchanan's statue is 6-feet 2-inches (1.9 m) tall and the width is 6-feet 7-inches (2 m) wide. He is depicted sitting in a chair and wearing a suit. Draped across his lap is a robe. His left hand is holding papers which Buchanan is reading. The marble base is 5.8-feet (1.8 m) tall and 5.75-feet (1.8 m) wide. Extending on each side of Buchanan's statue is a stone exedra. At each end of the exedra is a concrete sculpture, one representing Law and the other Democracy. The male statue of Law is shirtless and his legs are crossed. A piece of fabric is draped over his lap.[12] He is holding a fasces with his left hand. The female statue of Democracy is topless and also has fabric draped over her lower half, part of which hangs from her right arm.[12]

The inscription on the memorial include the following:[12]

(above the statue)
BVCHANAN

{left wall)
JAMES BUCHANAN OF PENNSYLVANIA
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
MDCCCLVII-MDCCClXI

(right wall)
THE INCORRUPTIBLE STATESMAN WHOSE
WALK WAS UPON THE MOUNTAIN RANGES OF
THE LAW

(corner of statue)
Hans Schuler 1929

See also

References

  1. ^ Millen, William A. (July 13, 1930). "Monument to America's First Bachelor President". The Evening Star. p. 10. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Widmer, Ted (May 26, 2020). "We've forgotten the worst president in American history". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "Monuments and Memorials". The Evening Star. January 1, 1936. p. 12. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Clem, Fiona J. (2017). Meridian Hill Park. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 44–47. ISBN 9781467125307.
  5. ^ "District in Congress". The Evening Star. January 31, 1916. p. 2. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "Model of Buchanan Memorial Approved". The Evening Star. July 17, 1916. p. 17. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Urges Buchanan Statue". The Washington Times. December 4, 1916. p. 14. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  8. ^ a b DeFerrari, John; Sefton, Douglas Peter (2022). Sixteenth Street NW Washington, DC's Avenue of Ambitions. Georgetown University Press. p. 108. ISBN 9781647121570.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b Lee, Karis (March 30, 2020). "The Buchanan Statue Debate: A Memorial Fifteen Years in the Making". WETA. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Stern, Milton (2005). Harriet Lane, America's First Lady. pp. 100–105. ISBN 9781411626089.
  11. ^ "New Park to Get Buchanan Statue". The Evening Star. April 3, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Buchanan, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "Buchanan Statue is Due to Arrive in Capital Today". The Evening Star. July 30, 1929. p. 17. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  14. ^ "Hoover to Make Unveiling Speech". The Evening Star. June 18, 1930. pp. A-5. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "Hoover Dedicates Buchanan Statue". The New York Times. June 27, 1930. p. 17. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Carr, Ethan (October 13, 1993). "National Historic Landmark Nomination - Meridian Hill Park". National Park Service. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  17. ^ "District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites" (PDF). District of Columbia Office of Planning - Historic Preservation Office. September 30, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
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