Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, (sculpture).

Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, (sculpture).

Rhind, John Massey, 1860-1936, sculptor.

Roman Bronze Works, founder.

Rankin, Kellogg & Crane, architectural firm.

William Gray & Sons, contractor.

P. R. Pullman and Company, contractor.

Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, (sculpture).

Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson, (sculpture).

Dedicated July 3, 1909.

Digital Reference:

Figures: bronze; Shaft: Maine pink granite; Foundation: concrete.

Shaft: approx. H. 25 ft.; Base: approx. H. 2 ft.

ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N.Y. (Upper portion of granite shaft:) 1861 1865 (Lower front of granite shaft, raised letters:) GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC/ORGANIZED AT DECATUR ILLINOIS, APRIL 6, 1866/BY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STEPHENSON M.D. (Below figures on front:) FRATERNITY (Below figures on northeast: CHARITY (Below figures on southeast: LOYALTY Founder's mark appears.

A three sided shaft composed of granite blocks is adorned with high relief bronze figures on each side. On the front side, a Union soldier stands holding a gun in his proper right hand. To his proper left, a sailor stands holding the United States flag. The word FRATERNITY appears below the two figures. Below this is a bronze medallion with a relief bust of Dr. Benjamin Stephenson installed in a circular niche. Stephenson has a beard and moustache, and is dressed in his military uniform. The niche is adorned with foliage around the bottom.

On the northeast side of the memorial there is a female figure dressed in long robes tied at the bust, and a cape spread out around her. Inside the folds of her cape she protects a small child standing on her proper left. Her proper left hand reaches down and touches the child's proper left shoulder. The word CHARITY appears below the two figures.

On the southeast side of the memorial, a female figure stands holding a shield and a sword. The word LOYALTY appears below the figure. The inscription on the front near the base is flanked by a pair of Grand Army of the Republic emblems --an eagle atop a crest resting on a five-pointed star.

Portrait male -- Stephenson, Benjamin Franklin -- Bust

Occupation -- Medicine -- Doctor

History -- United States -- Civil War

Figure group -- Male

Occupation -- Military -- Sailor

Occupation -- Military -- Soldier

Allegory -- Life -- Manhood

Figure group -- Female & Child

Allegory -- Quality -- Charity

Allegory -- Quality -- Faith

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

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

Located Indiana Plaza, 7th & C Streets, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia

The memorial honors the founder of the Grand Army of the Republic, Benjamin F. Stephenson M.D. (1823-1871). At the start of the Civil War in 1861, Dr. Stephenson served as surgeon of the 14th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He rose to the rank of brigade surgeon by the time he was discharged in 1864. In 1866, Stephenson organized a national association for both Union officers and enlisted men who had been honorable discharged. The organization became known as the Grand Army of the Republic and its mission was to assist not only disabled Union Veterans, but also the widows of Union soldiers. The organization was a politically strong group that fought for increased pensions and continued strength of U.S. military. The organization closed when the last Union soldier died in 1959.

The memorial was erected by the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association at a cost of 35,000 dollars appropriated by a March 4, 1907 Act of Congress. The construction of the memorial was supervised by the Stephenson Memorial Commission. Rankin, Kellogg & Crane designed the central shaft of the memorial. William Gray and Sons were the contractors for the piece and P. R. Pullman and Company were the contractors for the foundation. The soil below the site was not firm enough for the memorial so the concrete foundation had to be increased in size to reduce the pressure per square foot. The memorial has been moved just a bit, it was originally located a few yards away on the spot where the Temperance Fountain is now located.

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 brief maintenance history, a list of bibliographic sources, and notes to additional information found in National Park Service files. IAS files also contain an excerpt from another National Park Service publication, "Sculpture in the Parks of the Nation's Capitol," United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Capital Region and the Denver Service Center, 1985, pg. 45.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985

National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, DC0061, 1989.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 360.

Monumental News, April and July 1908; Jan. 1910.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1993.

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, J-2.

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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