56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, (sculpture).

56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, (sculpture).

Brown, Joseph, 1909-1985, sculptor.

Givens, Cales, engineer.

EDAW, Inc., engineering firm.

Cold Spring Granite Company, fabricator.

Fort Myer Construction Corporation, contractor.

56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, (sculpture).

Fifty-six Signers of the Declaration of Independence, (sculpture).

1976. Dedicated July 2, 1984.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: Pink granite with gold leaf, concrete piers, brass, and wood.

Sculpture: approx. 2 ft. 5 1/2 in. x 50 ft. x 4 ft. 3 in.

(Section 1:) A MEMORIAL TO THE 56 SIGNERS OF/THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE/A GIFT FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION/BICENTENNIAL ADMINISTRATION/1976 (Section 2:) IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776./The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America. (Section 3:) And for the support of this Declaration,/with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence,/we mutually pledge to each other/our Lives,/our fortunes/and our Sacred Honor. (The names, occupations, and cities of origin for each signer, and the names of the thirteen states, appear on the granite blocks which border the plaza.) unsigned

Landscaped design utilizing a man-made island as a base for the sculpture which is accessed by a wood-planked pedestrian bridge. On the island are 56 granite blocks, one for each signer of the Declaration of Independence. The center piece of the memorial is an incomplete ellipse open to the south side. Three pink granite steps lead down to a small elliptical plaza with 4" x 4" pink granite pavers placed in radial patterns emanating from a small brass star embedded in a granite plaque at the base of the steps. The plaza is bordered by 56 granite blocks at graduated heights and varying widths. The top face of each block is polished and inscribed with the signature, name, and city of each signer. The signatures are adorned with pressed gold leaf. The granite plaza is bordered by twenty tulip magnolia trees placed in a curvilinear fashion on either side of the plaza. A rustic curvilinear stone wall runs from one end of the island to the other and invites participants to enjoy vistas of the memorial. A series of three inscription plaques are embedded from the bridge to the plaza.

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

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

Located Constitution Gardens, Constitution Avenue and 18th Street, N.W. Washington, District of Columbia

Memorial was dedicated on the 208th anniversary of the day the debate began on ratification of the Declaration of Independence. Memorial was authorized by Congress on April 17, 1978. The project was funded with $255,000 of surplus funds from the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration which raised money through the sale of special medallions during the Bicentennial. IAS files contain related articles from the Washington Post, July 3, 1984 and the Washington Times, July 3, 1984 which describe the dedication ceremony. IAS files also 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 brief maintenance history, a list of bibliographic sources, and notes to additional information found in National Park Service files. Cold Spring Granite Company was responsible for the stonework. Cales Givens was the project manager.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1994.

Washington Post, July 3, 1984.

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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