Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net
Artist: Jean-Antoine Houdon
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Jean-Antoine Houdon,
1792 (original marble, copy installed 1957)
* Statue of George Washington
* standing person,
cane
* Copied from the original marble by Houdon in the state capitol at Richmond by special permission of the General Assembly of Virginia. An eternal flame in front of the tomb, and the flags of the 13 original colonies fly along the walk leading up to it. The memorial was completed in 1957.
* inscription:
wall:
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.
In unmarked graves within this square lie thousands of unknown
soldiers of Washington's army who died of wounds and sickness during
the revolutionary war.
The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint
councils and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and
success.
- Washington's farewell address, Sept. 17, 1796.
statue:
In memory of John Mclheiny
tomb:
Under this stone rests a soldier of Washington's Army who died to give you liberty
plaque:
The eternal flame dedicated in 1976 by Continental Bank in memory of those who fought and gave their lives that we might celebrate our 200th anniversary as a free people.
* Tomb.
West side of Washington Square.
South of 7th and Walnut.
* 39.947100,-75.152750 [map] [nearby]
* On the Washington Square tour
* Exhibits: War
* See also:
+ushistory.org page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's George Washington page
+wikipedia.org's Washington Square page
+nps.gov's Cultural Landscape Report for Washington Square (449 page pdf)
