Questions grow over new statues at closed Freedom Plaza
New statues were erected on Freedom Plaza in D.C. last week. A dozen unannounced additions now stand alongside a statue installed last month after being moved from Wilmington, Delaware. “I haven’t heard anything about it. I’m seeing it for the first time, but I’m really not sure who they are, because I can’t tell, because we can’t get in the park,” Sean Elgut, a D.C. native, told WTOP Monday as he looked over the construction fence at the statues. “But I would say it’s nice to see statues coming back to D.C., especially on the 250th birthday of America.” According to the Department of the Interior, the twelve are bronze depictions of American Revolutionary soldiers from all walks of life. Some are holding muskets, another a flag with thirteen stars. Some are blackened with apparent age, others much shinier bronze. In a statement to WTOP, the Interior Department wrote, “The twelve soldiers represent the collective sacrifice of those who served during the Revolutionary War, reflecting the broad range of individuals who contributed to the nation’s founding. Together, the installation will transform Freedom Plaza into a space of remembrance and reflection, inviting visitors to connect with the people and pivotal moments that shaped the early history of the United States.” A thirteenth statue was also installed last month, the figure of Caesar Rodney atop a horse. Rodney is known for riding about 80 miles overnight on Jul. 1, 1776, from Delaware to Philadelphia to cast a tiebreaking vote for independence. He also served as an officer during Revolutionary War. The statue once stood in but was removed in 2020 during protests following the death of George Floyd. Rodney owned enslaved people, including hundreds on his family’s Byfield plantation. In 1766, he advocated for restricting the importation of enslaved people into Delaware and, like George Washington, freed some enslaved people after his death.
On April 25, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X that National Park Service “staff returned his statue to Freedom Plaza. By telling the full story, every triumph, every challenge and every step towards a more perfect union we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here.” [custom_gallery] Charles Du Mond, who also visited the site, told WTOP he does not support honoring a slaveholder at Freedom Plaza. “Do I think it’s a good idea to put up statues to people who owned a lot of slaves or held a lot of slaves? No, I do not,” he said. Freedom Plaza has been closed for months as crews renovate the park ahead of events marking the nation’s 250th birthday. It is unclear when it will reopen.
