General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, (sculpture).

General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, (sculpture).

Shrady, Henry Merwin, 1871-1922, sculptor.

Amateis, Edmond, 1897-1981, sculptor.

Fry, Sherry Edmundson, 1879-1966, sculptor.

Casey, Edward Pearce, 1864-1940, architect.

Roman Bronze Works, founder.

Vermont Marble Company, fabricator.

General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, (sculpture).

Artillery Group, (sculpture).

Cavalry Group, (sculpture).

1912-1920. Dedicated April 27, 1922.

Digital Reference:

Equestrian statue: bronze; Base: marble; Base reliefs: bronze; Lions: bronze; Platform sculpture groups: bronze; Platform: Tennessee marble.

Equestrian statue of Grant: approx. 17 ft. 2 in. x 8 ft. x 4 ft.; Base: approx. 22 1/2 ft. x 6 ft. 4 ft.; Platform: approx. W. 252 ft. D. 71 ft. (10,700 lbs.).

The memorial consists of a long marble platform with an equestrian statue of General Grant; four sculptures of lions, one at each corner of the equestrian statue; and two groups of military figures, one at each end of the marble platform. In the center of the marble platform is the figure of Grant, dressed in his military uniform and slouch hat, seated astride his charger, Cincinnatus. On each side of the base is a large bas-relief panel depicting soldiers in action. On one side, an officer raises his sword and commands his marching soldiers. On the other side, soldiers carrying flags and rifles march in profile.

To the north of the Grant equestrian statue is the Cavalry Group which depicts seven horsemen of the Cavalry Regiment's color squad making a charge. The commanding officer is at the front with his sword raised giving the order to charge. To the south of the Grant equestrian statue is the Artillery Group which depicts three horses pulling a caisson carrying a cannon and three soldiers.

Portrait male -- Grant, Ulysses S. -- Full length

Occupation -- Military -- General

Occupation -- Political -- President

Animal -- Horse -- Cincinnatus

Object -- Weapon -- Cannon

Occupation -- Military -- Soldier

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

Administered by United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, District of Columbia

Located Union Square, East end of National Mall, 1st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue & Maryland Avenue, Washington, District of Columbia

The idea for the memorial originated in 1895 by the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Grant's old command. It took more than 20 years to complete. The memorial was originally intended for the Ellipse, but Theodore Roosevelt reportedly vetoed the idea because the statue would block his view of the Potomac. The decision to place it on the east end of the Mall was also controversial, as it required the removal of three large trees.

Excavation on the site began on October 7, 1907. The sculpture of Grant was installed in late 1920, the Artillery Group was placed on the site in 1912 and the Cavalry Group in 1916. A plague on the rear of the Artillery Group lists the names: Fairfax Ayers, James E. Chaney, and Henry J. Weeks (the West Point cadets who were the models). The two reliefs on the base were sculpted by Fry and Amateis from a sketch done by Shrady shortly before his death and were installed after 1922. The stone work is by Vermont Marble Company.

IAS files contain an excerpt from Jannelle Warren-Findley's Aug. 1, 1985 report for the National Park Service entitled, "A Guide to Selected Statues, Monuments and Memorials," National Capital Parks - Central, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. (RFQ 3-4-1919) which includes a lengthy maintenance history, a list of bibliographic sources, and notes to additional information found in National Park Service files. IAS files also contain articles from the New York Times Magazine, Dec. 16, 1928. The Evening Star (District of Columbia), April 28, 1922. and the Washington Post, April 2, 1922 and March 18, 2001, Sect. F-3. The monument was restored in the summer of 2015, and IAS files contain an article from the Washington Post, Aug. 28, 2015, pg. B1-B2 describing the conservation treatment and a bit of the sculpture's history.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C.: A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 243-248.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1994.

Michael Richman, SAAM curatorial assistant, 1967-1969.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, G-2.

Washington Post, April 2, 1922, Pictorial Section.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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