George Meade Memorial
Title
George Meade Memorial
Description
The creation of a memorial to Civil War Union General George Meade was first proposed by the Pennsylvania legislature in 1911. Congress approved the memorial in 1915, but conflicts between the Pennsylvania Meade Memorial Commission and the Washington Commission of Fine Arts delayed the construction of the statue. In March of 1922, President Harding attended the groundbreaking and the memorial was dedicated in 1927. When construction began on the I-395 underpass in the late 1960s, the statue was removed. In 1983, it was finally placed in its present location outside the Federal Courthouse.
Creator
Source
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. View original.
Date
1969 (Removed)
1983 (Installed in new location)
Physical Description
The statue is made of marble and granite, and is in total almost 18 feet tall. Meade is flanked by a male figure representing Loyalty and a female figure representing Chivalry; these two are removing the cloak of battle from his shoulders. The other figures on the memorial are Fame and Energy beside Loyalty, and Progress and Military Courage beside Chivalry. Directly opposite Meade is a figure of War. The memorial is topped with the state seal of Pennsylvania.