memorial george known major general public artwork washington honoring career military officer pennsylvania best known defeating general battle monument sited block pennsylvania avenue originally located union square removed placed storage fourteen years installed current location statue sculpted educator founder gift state pennsylvania prominent attendees dedication ceremony included president governor secretary treasury senator memorial eighteen civil war monuments washington collectively listed national_register_of_historic_places marble granite sculpture includes depictions seven figures rests granite base granite platform surrounded public plaza small park monument owned maintained national_park_service federal agency history background career military officer pennsylvania best known role union general civil war graduated west point briefly served army began working civil engineer railroad companies army fought mexican american war promoted lieutenant heroic actions battle 1850s onset civil war involved coastal surveying designing mainly promoted brigadier general beginning war badly wounded battle recovered led forces major battles including june succeeded defeating general commanding officer fought greatest battle days later battle war succeeding defeating general confederate forces criticized president abraham_lincoln allowing confederate forces retreat virginia continued serve army commanding officer end war appointed general chief union armies authority unlike generals calls memorial death popular lincoln grant fellow officers considered hero native pennsylvania 1910s members republic organizations lobbied fund statue state assembly commissioned sculpture october appropriated construction members pennsylvania congressional delegation lobbied congress approve sculpture act congress authorized erection january congress mandated sculpture design site memorial approved memorial gift state pennsylvania appointed state governor commission led veteran fought composed architects artists planners agreed little considered abusive sending rude letters demanding certain requirements memorial created lasted death following death memorial commission finally chose sculptor pennsylvania native named founder longtime educator best known portrait peak career hesitant approving design sculpture symbolic works criticized finally agreed consider following months negotiations changes preliminary sculpture design approved august received commission years final design location memorial passed march official groundbreaking ceremony took place chosen site near 3rd street public park close large memorial installed old garden demolished moved way architects chosen design memorial philadelphia carved memorial project contractor total cost memorial installation dedication memorial formally dedicated october civil war monuments erected washington time dedication members championed memorial died civil war veterans able attend ceremony prominent attendees ceremony included president wife grace pennsylvania governor secretary navy curtis secretary treasury secretary labor senator acting chairman memorial commission white temporary adorned national shields coat arms pennsylvania built memorial invited guests members public speaker stand decorated autumn colored flowers memorial national flag left flag civil war era stars right flag current starred flag minister gave invocation reverend led prayer speech detailing life career given fisher followed unveiling memorial daughter escorted memorial unveiled flock peace released altar bearing emblem army band played star banner army cannons fired fisher presented memorial behalf state pennsylvania behalf american people remarks including following behalf government nation helped save accept memorial erected commonwealth home home ancestors conflict took important long passed away peace loved come reconciliation sought complete loyalty flag followed universal shines immortal flame elderly veteran fought collapsed giving speech experience battle time president chief military aid president physician came aid able finish speech crowds ceremony concluded band playing later history memorial dismantled placed storage facility 42nd street hunt place built atop interstate remained storage years members public began memorial replaced pennsylvania representative contacted memorial coordinator national_park_service members contacted repair sculpture cracked places contacted maryland representative requested memorial placed congressional district fort george memorial repaired placed new plaza pennsylvania avenue formal took place october memorial eighteen civil war monuments washington collectively listed national_register_of_historic_places september historic sites march memorial surrounding park owned maintained federal agency design location memorial located block pennsylvania avenue neighborhood washington stands united_states courthouse street memorial sited center public plaza small park cylindrical marble granite sculpture tall wide depicted military uniform standing sculpture male winged figure representing war rear sculpture flanked memorial figures representing qualities artist believed necessary great military leader sides sculpture progress male figure loyalty proper right female figure proper left removing military representing battle leaves figure representing loyalty holds representing accomplishments female figure representing fame loyalty supported male figure energy male figure progress male figure military courage locking arms war gold state seal pennsylvania memorial pink granite base tall diameter inscriptions memorial include following sculpture lower base rear base commonwealth pennsylvania major general george gordon commanded brass letters set granite platform
George Gordon Meade Memorial