President's Park Notes: Statues

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by  National Park Service

19.84/3-12:6
k Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of the National Park Service
Liaison to the White House
President's Park
Notes
Statues
Number 6
-Kosciuszko
Statue
NPS/TERRYADAMS
General Thaddeus Kosciuszko Statue
Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C.
ThestatueofThaddeusKosciuszko theBattleofSaratoga,therebyturningthe
standsatthenortheastcornerofLafayette tideofthewarbybringingFranceinto
ParkinWashington,D.C.Thestatue, theconflictontheAmericanside. His
agifttotheUnitedStatesfromPolish laterengineeringworksonthedefenses
Americansundertheleadershipofthe atWestPointweresoextensive,theyef-
PolishNationalAlliance,wasexecuted fectivelypersuadedtheBritishtoabandon
byPolishsculptorAntoniPopieland anyattempttoinvadetheHudsonRiver
dedicatedonMay 11, 1910.Kosciuszko Valley.Aftertherevolution,Kosciuszko
wasayoungPolishmilitaryengineerof- returnedtohisnative Poland,andalive
ficerwhoservedduringtheAmerican withEnlightenmentidealsvaliantlyfought Site plan ofPresident's Park indicating
Revolution.Hisengineeringfeatshelped togainindependenceforhishomeland. the location ofthe Kosci|fl?yc§SljatQe #011
ensuretheContinentalarmy'svictoryat Consideredaheroontwocontinents,the Lafayette Park, nps
ON
RY
"GeorgeWashington"ofPolandspentthe Thaddeus Kosciuszko onAugust30.Kosciuszko,waitingin
remainderofhislifeadvocatingequality PhiladelphiaforareplyfromtheCongress,
andfightingforfreedominhisnativeland. AndrzejTadeuszBonawentura madehisservicesavailabletothecity,
—
Kosciuszko ThaddeusKosciuszko (1746 whichwasdesperatelyworkingtofortify
—
The Statue and Its Context 1817) wasborninMereczowszczyzna, itselfinanticipationofaBritishassault.
inpresent-dayBelarus,onFebruary 12, Heeventuallygainedemploymentwith
Attheturnofthe20thcentury,Polish 1746.OfPolishandLithuaniandescent, thePennsylvaniaCommitteeofDefense
Americansfocusedintenseinterestonthe Kosciuszkowasgreatlyimpressedby todevelopandexecuteplansforbuild-
exploitsofheroicPoleslikeKosciuszko, storiesfromantiquity,particularlythe ingfortificationsalongtheDelaware
whose achievements symbolized a CorinthianheroTimoleon,whofreedhis River.Moreimportantly,becausethe
national heritageworth saving. nativelandfromtyrannicaloppression. ContinentalCongresshadapproved
Movementsevolvedtoerectstatuesand In 1765, 19-year-oldKosciuszko theproject,Kosciuszko'snamecame
monumentstoKosciuszkotocoincide enrolledinthenewlycreated
withthecentennialoftheMay3, 1791, RoyalMilitaryAcademy.Upon
PolishConstitution,Europe'sfirstmodern graduationhewascommis-
constitution.In 1894,PolishAmericans sionedafirstlieutenantand
throughouttheUnitedStatescelebrated assignedasaninstructoratthe
"theYearofKosciuszko"markinghis academywhereheremained
returntoPolandandgreatvictoryoverthe until 1768.Ayearlater,hewas
RussianarmyatRaclawicein 1794.This promotedtocaptainofartillery
enthusiasmmotivatedPolishAmericansto andawardedascholarshipby
erectastatueinWashington,D.C. Poland'sKingPoniatowskito
LafayettePark,wheretheKosciuszko continueengineeringstudies
statuestands,isapproximatelysevenacres inFrance.
direcdyacrossfromtheWhiteHouseon AsaforeignerinFrance,
thenorthsideofPennsylvaniaAvenue. Kosciuszkowasnotpermit-
Bytheearly20thcentury,LafayettePark tedtoenrollattheprestigious
hadevolvedintoawelcomingpublicspace militaryacademies.Insteadhe
withstatuesofforeign-bornAmerican studiedattheAcademieRoyale
RevolutionaryWarheroes,whichsur- dePeintureetdeSculpture
roundtheheroicequestrianbronzeof andhiredprivatetutorsfor
AndrewJackson (1853) atthepark'scen- military-relateddisciplines
tercommemoratinghisvictoryatNew suchasmathematicsandmili-
OrleansduringtheWarof1812.In 1891, taryengineering. Itisalsovery
astatuetoGeneralMarquisdeLafayette likelythatheabsorbedthe
wasdedicatedatthesoutheastcorner. writingsofEnlightenmentphi- ThaddeusKosciuszkobyJulian Rysafteran unidentified
Thiswasfollowedbythestatuesto losophers,whoforKosciuszko source, 1897. independencenationalhistoricalpark
GeneralComtedeRochambeau(1902) at illustratedtheinequalityand
thesouthwestcorner,GeneralThaddeus injusticesenduredbytheEuropeanpeas- beforetheCongress.OnOctober 18,
Kosciuszko(1910) atthenortheastcorner, antryandenslavedAfricanAmericans. theCongressappointedhimacolonel
andGeneralBaronvonSteuben(1910) In 1772whileKosciuszkowasstillin ofengineersintheContinentalarmy.
atthenorthwestcorner. Paris,Polandsufferedthefirstofitsthree Aroundthistime,Kosciuszkodevel-
Throughoutitshistory,Lafayette partitionsbyAustria,Prussia,andRussia. opedawarmandadvantageousfriendship
Parkhasenjoyedtheattentionofsome Withhisfinancialresourcesdwindling, withGeneralHoratioGates,thenincom-
ofAmerica'smostwellknownarchi- Kosciuszkoreturnedtohisfamilyestate mandofPhiladelphiainFebruary 1777.
tectsandlandscapearchitects,including inSiechnowicze.Hesupportedhimselfby InMarch,Gateswasorderednorthtotake
CharlesBulfinchandAndrewJackson teachingthedaughtersofJozefSosnowski, commandofthenortherncampaignsand
Downing.Duringthelate 19thcentury oneoftherichestnoblemenintheregion. FortTiconderoga;andaccompanyinghim
LafayetteParkderiveditsorganiza- Kosciuszkoeventuallyfellinlovewiththe washisnewengineer,Kosciuszko.InNew
tionandclassicalorderfromtheCity youngestdaughter,Louisa.Thecouple York,hedisplayedhisgreatesttalentsasa
BeautifulMovement,whichcreated plannedanill-conceivedelopementthat militaryengineer.Reelingfromthehumili-
grassrootsenthusiasmfororderedcity wasdiscoveredbyLouisa'sfather.Under atingdefeatatFortTiconderogaonJuly5,
planningand classicallyinspiredspaces. athreatofprosecution,the29-year-old ContinentalforcesunderKosciuszko's
Thisenthusiasmforclassicalurban KosciuszkofledPolandin 1775.Less leadershipundertookdelayingtacticsto
designandthedesiretomemorialize thanayearlater,hesetsailforAmerica. impedeBritishGeneralJohnBurgoyne's
greatnationalheroes,intersectedfortu- KosciuszkoarrivedinPhiladelphiaby advance. OnJuly 16,GeneralPhilip
itouslyattheturnofthe20thcentury, latesummer1776,wherehepresentedhis Schuylerdispatchedhimtooverseedelay-
particularlyforPolishAmericans. credentialstotheContinentalCongress ingactionsandplaced 1,000menunderhis
command.Kosciuszko'ssuccessindelay- Burgoyne'seventualdefeatattheBattle isthefirsttimethetwoactuallymetin
ingtheBritishadvancegaveGatesvalu- ofSaratogainSeptemberandOctober person,andalthoughnoofficialreport
—
abletimetoreplenishhisdepletedarmy. 1777 apivotaleventintheRevolutionary exists,Washington'ssubsequentcorre-
Kosciuszkowentforwardimmedi- War.Afterthesevictories,Francewas spondenceindicatedhissatisfactionwith
atelytosurveythesurroundingcountry- persuadedtoentertheconflictonthe thefortification'sprogress.Washington
side. Bridgesweredestroyed,treesfelled, Americanside.Kosciuszko'sfeatsof transferredhisheadquarterscloserto
andland floodedcreatinganimpassable engineeringarecreditedinlargemeas- WestPointandorderedthatallsoldiers
quagmire. Largeboulderswererolledinto ureformakingthevictorypossible. whoweremasonsorskilledcraftsmenbe
largerwaterwaysmakingitdifficultfor BythetimethenewsofFrance's immediatelytransferredtoKosciuszko's
theBritishtonavigate,whilealsocaus- entryintothewarreachedthetroops, detail.Thegarrisonworkeddayand
ingoverflowsthatimmersedsurrounding Kosciuszkowasagainatworkconstruct- nighttostrengthenallapproaches.These
lands.Ditchesweredugtolowerwater ingnewdefensesatWestPointalongthe activitieswerecloselymonitoredby
levelsinotherwisenavigablestreams, HudsonRiver.NorthofNewYorkCity Britishreconnaissancewhosereports
whiledivertingwatermadesurround- about45 miles,theHudsonRivernar- seemtoindicateagrowingBritishwari-
inglowlandsimpassable.Livestockwere rows,thechannelturnsthroughatight nessoveranassaultonWestPoint.
drivenawayandgrainfieldsburnedto S-curve,andthehighlandsriseoneither Bytheendof1778,Kosciuszko
denythe Britishmuch-neededprovi- sideprovidinganaturaldefensivebarrier madeconsiderableprogressonthevari-
sions.Kosciuszko'stacticsreducedthe betweenAlbanyandNewYorkCity. ousdefenses,supplementingthemwith
Britishadvancetoanaverageofonlyone TheHudsonRiverValleywas fireboats,gunboats,chains,andanyother
mileperday,insharpcontrasttoprevi- importantandtheContinentalCongress possibleobstacletodiscourageattack.
ousmovementsbyBurgoyne'sarmythat recognizedasearlyas 1775 thestrate- Heoftenwrotetocommandingofficers
hadtraveledasmuchas 18milesperday. gicanddefensiveimportanceofWest complainingaboutthechronicshort-
Capitalizingonthetimebought Point.GeneralGeorgeWashington, ageofmanpowerandrequestingmore
throughKosciuszko'sdelayingtactics, commanderoftheContinentalarmy, supplies.Throughouttheseverewinter
Schuylerandthe Continental army inalettertoGeneralIsraelPutnamin monthsof1779-80,heurgedhissoldiers
retreatedfarthersouththroughSaratoga December 1777urgedPutnamtouse tokeeppacedespiteunrelentinghun-
then 12milessouthtoStillwater.On allmeansathisdisposaltosecurethe ger,cold,andfatigue.Workersrepaired
August 19, 1777,GatesreplacedSchuyler riveragainstanypossibleattacks. thelogboomandironchainthatlaid
atSchaick'sIslandandorderedKosciuszko KosciuszkoarrivedatWestPointin acrossthe HudsonRiver,erectednew
northtoselectaspotonthewestbankof March 1778,andimmediatelybeganthe chevaux-de-frise,constructedbombproof
theHudsonRivertoestablishadefensive taskofbuildingdefenses,whichhad lan- magazines,andraisedadditionalbarracks
position.Heselectedanareasixmiles guishedunderhispredecessor. Hemoved andredoubts.Toexpeditethework,half
aboveStillwater.Withgunsplacedon quicklytofortifyboththeriverandthe agallonofrumwaspromisedforevery
thecrestofawoodedhill,namedBemis surroundinghighgroundagainstapos- approvedlogdeliveredtoWestPoint
Heights,hecouldcommandtheroadalong siblelandassault.Thefocusofthiseffort abovethedailyrequirement.Heagain
theHudsonRiverValleyleadingtoAlbany. wasFortPutnam,whichfromarockyhill attemptedtoamelioratethesufferingof
Gatesordered 1,000menforwardto overlookedtheplainbelowandtheWest hismen.InalettertoSchuyler,nowa
executeKosciuszko'splan,whichincluded Pointprominence.Additionalpriorities memberofCongress,Kosciuszkopleaded
mile-longentrenchmentsmadeofearth, includedcompletingFortArnold;rais- onbehalfoftheentireCorpsofEngineers
logs,andfencerailsfrontedbyanabatisor ingobstructionstorivertraffic;finish- requestingclothingequaltowhatthe
obstaclecreatedbyplacingfelledtreesina ingouterworks;erectingbarracks;and restofthearmynormallyreceived.
waythatthebranchesareintertwinedand constructingwaterbatteries,abatis,and Theserequestswereroutinelyunmet.
tangled.Behindthefirstline,Kosciuszko defensiveobstaclesofspikesattachedto Thegreatesttestimonyof
constructedasecondmoreformidable woodenframes,especiallyagainstcavalry, Kosciuszko'sachievementwasthefact
lineataroadjunctionjustsouthofBemis knownaschevaux-de-frisetosupport thattheBritishnevermadeanattempt
Heights,andalongtheheightsconstructed FortPutnam.Oncetheseprioritieswere againstWestPoint.Britishreconnaissance
gunemplacementstocoverthelowlands. accomplishedKosciuszkowouldgoonto perceivedthedefensiveworksasvirtu-
Whencompleted,theHudsonRivereffec- planandexecuteadditionalfortifications allyimpregnable.Kosciuszko'sdensely
—
tivelyguardedtheAmericanrightflank. thatwhencompletedwouldcompriseone fortifiedWestPoint theGibraltarof
Ontheeasternsideoftheheights, expansiveinterlockingdefensiveunit. America—effectivelydeniedtheBritish
Kosciuszkosimilarlyconstructedfield- Inthesummerof1778,renewedfears useoftheHudsonwhileprotectingthe
worksthatfollowedthenaturalcontours ofanattackacceleratedtheworkatWest grainsupplies,whichfedWashington's
oftheland.Manyofhisemplacements Point. InJuly,WashingtontraveledtoWest army.Thenoveltyofdesignandthequal-
tookadvantageofthenaturaloutlineof Pointforaninspection inthecompany ityofworkmanshipwascarriedoutunder
thelandscapeorwerehiddenbehind ofKosciuszko.Washington'spurposefor Kosciuszko'ssupervisionillustratingasur-
standsoftreesandforests,thusconceal- thisbriefvisitwastopersonallyassure prisingdegreeofengineeringsophistica-
ingexactlywheretheAmericandefenses himselfthatthis"mostimportantpostin tionthatwouldnotbeseenin Europeuntil
lay,whichprovedadecisivefactorin America"wassecure.Itisbelievedthis the 19thcentury. HadtheBritishbeenable
freelytonavigatetheHudson,thecolonies ledtoasecondpartitionofPolandin PrussianandRussianforcescombined
wouldhavebeengeographicallydivided 1793.ThereformsmadeundertheMay3 todefeatKosciuszkoatSzczekociny.
andthe FrenchandAmericanarmies constitutionwereabolishedand Poland Kosciuszkowasundeterredinhis
isolated,leavingtheFrenchclusteredon fellunderRussianandPrussianrule. zealtoformanindependentPolish
LongIsland.WithWestPointsecured, Kosciuszko,distraught,resignedhis state.AnticipatingthatRussianGeneral
theBritishwerebottledupinNewYork commission,leftPolandandeventually AlexanderSuvorovwasmovingtorein-
makingsouthwardmovementstheir landedinAustria.Authoritiestherefeared forceRussianforcesaroundWarsaw,
onlyalternative. hewouldfomentrebellionandordered helaunchedanoffensiveagainstthe
Kosciuszko'sWestPointduties himtoleavethecountry.WithRussian RussiansatMaciejowiceonOctober
finallyconcludedaftertwoyearswhen spiesfollowing,Kosciuszkomadehisway 10, 1794.ThePolisharmywasover-
GateswastransferredtotheContinental toPariswheretheFrenchRevolutionary whelmed.Hewasgravelywounded
army'ssoutherncampaignandperson- governmentgrandlyannounceditsintent andcapturedbytheRussians,thus
allyrequestedKosciuszko'sservicesfrom tosupportalldemocraticmovements endingtheKosciuszkoUprising.
Washington. InAugust 1780,Kosciuszko inEurope,butintheendofferedhim Althoughseriouslywounded,
wasnamedchiefengineerofthesouthern only"honoraryFrenchcitizenship"and onOctober13Kosciuszkobeganalong
army.Hespentthenexttwoyearsputting thetideof"defenderofthepeopleagainst andpainfuljourneytoSt. Petersburg
hisengineeringtalentstousehelping despots." Inthesummerof1793 he asaprisonerofwar.Alongtheroute,
histroopsdodgeandengagetheBritish returnedtoLeipzigandimmersedhimself theRussiansdisplayedhiminorderto
intheCarolinasandVirginia. inplanningforanewPolishrebellion. squelchrumorsofhisescape.Hefinally
Attheconclusionofthewar, InMarch 1794,Kosciuszkoreturned arrivedinSt. PetersburgonDecember
KosciuszkosailedtoPhiladelphiain toPolandintentonsparkinganewrevolt. 10andwassentbyCzarinaCatherineII
June 1783tosettlematterswiththe OnMarch24inKrakow,Kosciuszko tothePeterandPaulFortressasapoliti-
ContinentalCongressbeforeembark- appealedtothe Polishnationtorise calprisoner.Whileimprisoned,hewas
ingonhisreturntoPoland.Oneofthese upagainstitsoccupiers. Heissuedhis grievedonceagainasPolandunder-
matterswashispromotion,andtheother famousActofInsurrectionthatwas wentitsthirdpartitionandwaserased
concernedhispay.Unlikeotherofficers intendedtoclarifytherevolt'spur- fromthepoliticalmapofEurope.
duringthewar,Kosciuszkowasmod- posesandcreateenthusiasmamongthe OnNovember6, 1796,Catherine
esttoafault,ofteneschewingpersonal peasantrywhosesupportwasneeded. 11diedunexpectedlybringingtothe
advancement.Attheconclusionofthe TheActwasbasedontheAmerican thronehersonCzarPaulI.Theczarwas
war,Kosciuszkowaspromotedtothefull DeclarationofIndependenceandthe areformerandadmirerofKosciuszko's
rankofbrigadiergeneralandsettledhis FrenchDeclarationoftheRightsof liberalideals,thoughnothispoliticalaspi-
compensationwiththeCongressinthe Man. Heurgedcitizenstostandfor rations.Inreturnforhissolemnoathnot
amountof$12,280.94withsixpercent theirliberty,security,andproperty. toresumerevolutionaryactivities,theczar
interestbackdatedtoJanuary1, 1784. Kosciuszkowasabletomusteran releasedhim.Aftertwoyearsofcaptiv-
Healsoreceived500acresoflandalong armyofonly32,000regularandpeas- ityKosciuszkodepartedSt. Petersburg
theSciotoRiverintheOhioTerritory. antmilitia.Ontheotherhand,Russia onDecember 19,boundforEngland.
AfterreturningtoPoland, deployed29,000troopsinPolandafterthe InEnglandKosciuszkowastreated
Kosciuszkoreturnedtothefamily partitionwithanother30,000closebyas byKingGeorgeIll'sprivatephysician.
estateinSiechnowice.Althoughhe reinforcements.Alsointheareawere8,000 Healsoreceivedvisitorsandnewsof
waswealthyfromhisAmericanpay,his Prussianswithanother14,000enroute. hisoldAmericancompatriots,who
financialsituationremaineddifficult. TheoddswerenotinKosciuszko'sfavor. encouragedhimtoreturntotheUnited
Promisedinterestfromhisaccounts OnApril4, 1794,6,000Polish States.Notonlydidhewishtoseehis
didnotarrive. Italsobecameclearto regularsandpeasantmilitiamet7,000 oldcolleagues,healsohopedtocol-
Kosciuszkothatwhilehewasservingin RussianstroopsatRaclawicejustoutside lectonthedebtsstillowedtohimbythe
America,Polandsufferedeconomicand ofKrakow.TheKosciuszkoUprisingwas Americangovernment.OnJune 19, 1797,
socialstagnationunderRussianrule. underway.Kosciuszkopersonallyled350 KosciuszkoboardedtheAdrianabound
Bythelate 1780s,debatesragedwithin scythe-wieldingpeasantsagainstthecenter forPhiladelphia,wherehewasgreeted
PolandovertheNaturalLawPhilosophy, Russianline.Theattackersweredressed byahero'swelcomeuponhisarrival.
whichfoundasteadfastsupporterin innativedressanddespitesuchirregular InPhiladelphiaKosciuszkoreceived
Kosciuszko.WelcomingafightforPoland's uniformsandimprobableodds,brokethe numerousvisitorswhilehecontinuedto
freedom,Kosciuszkoacceptedanappoint- enemyline.Newsofthevictoryspreadand convalescefromhiswounds.Despitehis
menttothepositionofMajorGeneralof incitedsuccessfulrevoltsacrossPoland. agreementwiththeczarnottofoment
the Polisharmy.Whilehebuilthisforces, KosciuszkoissuedhisPolaniecManifesto rebellion,hestilllongedforanindepend-
thePolishparliament,orSejm,adopted onMay7,hopingtorousemorepeasant entPolandandheldouthopeforFrench
Europe'sfirstconstitutionbasedonthe supportfortherevolutionarycause.This assistanceinthisregard.Kosciuszko
principlesoftheEnlightenment,onMay historicbutessentiallyfutiledocument secredymetwithFrenchdiplomaticrep-
3, 1791.Assuch,itaggravatedPoland's declaredthepeasantryfreeandgranted resentativesandwouldhavereturned
monarchialneighborsandeventually themlandownershiprights.InJune 1794, immediatelytoresumehisfightforPolish
Forthenext 14years,Kosciuszkolived
quietlyatZeltner'sestate. Hereceived
guestsregularly,includingtheMarquisde
LafayetteandmembersoftheAmerican
diplomaticmission,stayinginformedon
Americaneventsandcontinuallylament-
ingtheplightofhisnativePoland. During
thistimehecontinuedhiscorrespondence
with PresidentThomasJefferson,who
establishedtheUnited StatesMilitary
AcademyatWestPointin 1802onthevery
fortressKosciuszkosecuredduringthe
AmericanRevolution. Hecertainlywould
haveapprovedofsuchaninstitutionas
manyofhisletterswouldattest. During
Jefferson'spresidencyandWestPoint's
nascentyears,Kosciuszko'slettersoften
expressedstrongfavorformilitaryeduca-
tionasnecessarytofurthertheUnited
States' hard-foughtdemocraticideals.
Kosciuszkocontributedamanualonartil-
Americaonthe north faceofthe Kosciuszko Europeon thesouth faceofthe Kosciuszko lerywarfare. ManouvresofHorseArtillery,
Statue pedestal, nps/terryadams Statue pedestal, nps^erryadams firstwritteninFrenchin 1800andlater
translatedintoEnglishin 1808,becameone
independenceifFrenchassurancesofsup- affairsnowinorder,Kosciuszkoagain ofthefirsttextseverusedatWestPoint.
porthadbeenforthcoming.Unfortunately, departedtheUnitedStatesthistime In 1815,Kosciuszkoacceptedthe
theseoffersofsupportnevermaterial- ingreatsecrecytoattendtothediplo- invitationofZeltner'sbrother,Francis
ized,buthiscontactwiththeFrenchand maticmissionauthorizedbyJefferson. XavierZeltner,toresidewith hisfamily
JeffersonianRepublicansincludingVice The detailsofKosciuszko'smission in Switzerland. He didhisbesttokeep
PresidentThomasJeffersonduringatime in Franceareunderstandablydim,given upwithworldeventsbuttimeandbattle
ofheightenedpoliticaltensionsinthe thesecretnatureofthetask. Historysug- woundshad takenatollonhisbody.
UnitedStateshastenedhisdeparture. geststhatKosciuszko'seffortswereto Perhapsawarethathislifewaswaning,
Inearly 1798relationsbetweenthe goodeffectastensionsbetweenthetwo Kosciuszkoexecuted anotherwillin
UnitedStatesandFrancebecamestrained nationseased considerably.Thisperiod April 1817,leavinghisfamilialestate
asthepro-British,Federalist-ledgovern- markedasustainedlevel ofcorrespon- atSiechnowiceto hisnieceKatarzyna
mentbegantoprepareforthepossibility dencebetweenKosciuszkoandJefferson. Estkowaandherchildren,stipulatingthat
ofwarwithFrance.Jefferson,desperate The fluctuatingpoliticaltensionsbetween afterhisdeaththeserfsontheestatewere
toquellthefuror,enlistedKosciuszko's theUnitedStatesand Franceheldtheir tobefreed.SimilartohisAmericanwill,
help. Knowingofhisdesiretoreturnto politicaltalktoaminimum. Buttheir heurgedthefreedserfstoeducatetheir
Europe,JeffersonbelievedKosciuszko close ideologicalbondaswellasthe childrentopreparethemtobefull-fledged
wouldbeaperfectintermediary.While factthatJeffersonwasoverseeinghis citizens.InSeptember,Kosciuszkowrote
Jeffersonmadearrangementsforthe financeskepttheminfrequentcontact. toJeffersonremindinghimofthewillhe
clandestinetrip,hecompletedhisown WhenJeffersonbecame Presidentin witnessedand "thesolemnoath"they
personalbusiness,whichincluded 1801,Kosciuszkoconsideredareturn made.InearlyOctober,Kosciuszkoexe-
managementofhisAmericanaccounts triptoAmerica.Hewasalsoincreas- cutedathirdwillleavinghisSwissfundsto
andpreparationofhisfinalwilland inglydisenchantedwithNapoleonic theZeltnerfamily. DayslateronOctober
testament.WithJefferson'sassistance, Franceanditscontinuingreluctance 15, 1817,the71-year-oldKosciuszkodied.
KosciuszkoexecutedhiswillonApril30. tosupportthecause ofPolish liberty. ManywritershavecitedKosciuszko's
Theextraordinaryprovisions In 1800whilein France,Kosciuszko willsandtestamentsasproofofhisegali-
ofKosciuszko'swillhavebeencited wroteapamphletcallingforapopular tarianideals. Unfortunately,thefactthat
frequentlyasproofofhisunfailingly Polishuprising,butFrenchauthorities heexecutedthreewillsontwocontinents
egalitarianconvictions.Init,henames suppressedthe pamphletand promptly createdatangledwebofprobateand
Jeffersonashisexecutorandstipulates placed himunderpolicesurveillance. engenderedalong-lastingmyth regard-
thatJeffersonshouldusetheproceeds Worn downbytheconstantmonitoring, ingtheestablishmentofa"Kosciuszko
ofhisestatetopurchasethefreedomof Kosciuszkoaccepted in 1801 the invita- School"forAfricanAmericansin New
enslavedAfricanAmericansandthen tionofthe Swissministerto France,Peter Jersey.Thisinfactnevercametopass
educatethemtoknowthedutyofa JosephZeltner,tocometohisestateat despiteKosciuszko'sferventwishtofree
citizeninthefreeGovernment.Withhis Berville nearFontainebleau,France. andempowerenslavedAfricanAmericans.
—
oftheirmethodsincluded memorial- 20thcentury. Normally,Congresswould
izingheroicPolessuchasKosciuszko. approvelegislationbothforthecreation
Asearlyas 1888,ChicagoPolish andfundingofthestatue.TheKosciuszko
Americansorganizedtoraisefundsfor statue,however,wasagifttotheUnited
anequestrianstatueofKosciuszkoin States,paidforwithprivatefundsandso
thecity'sHumboldtPark.Thestatue didnotrequireappropriatinglegislation.
wasfinallydedicatedonSeptember Itdid,however,requireCongressional
11, 1904,inthepresenceofmorethan approvalduetothefactthatitwouldbe
100,000spectators.OnMay7, 1905,the erectedonapublicreservationwhich
ClevelandKosciuszkomonumentwas wasunderCongress'sjurisdiction.
dedicatedbeforeanotherimpressive AsplanningprogressedforthePulaski
crowd,andonJune 18, 1905,acrowd statue,whichinitiallywasproposedfor
of50,000watchedtheunveilingofthe LafayettePark,adilemmaconcerning
MilwaukeeKosciuszkostatue.This itsplacementemerged.GeneralPulaski
enthusiasmwouldspreadtoWashington, wasacavalryofficer.Consequently
D.C.,wherethePulaskistatuewith PolishAmericanswereadamantthat
federallyappropriatedfundswould Pulaskiberepresentedasanequestrian
finallygetitsdueandintheprocess statue.However,theFederalgovern-
drivethePNAtooffertheKosciuszko ment,whichhadjurisdictionandfinalsay
statueasagifttotheUnitedStates. overthestyleandformofthestatue,felt
UrgedbyvariousPolishAmerican thatanequestrianstatueonanycorner
Freedomgroupontheeastface ofthe organizationsintheMidwest, ofLafayette Parkwouldbeinappropri-
KosciuszkoStatue pedestal, nps^terryadams RepresentativesJamesH.Southard (Ohio) ate.Freestandingpedestrianfiguresof
andAbrahamLincolnBrick(Indiana) LafayetteandRochambeauwithpedestal
introducedabillinCongressinJanuary figuresoccupiedtheothertwocorners
Legislation and the 1901 tobuildanddedicatethestatueto andanequestrianstatueofAndrew
Polish National Alliance PulaskifirstpromisedbytheContinental Jacksonwasatthecenterofthepark.
Congressin 1779.Aseparatebillwaslaid Theprecedentforthecornershadbeen
ThedevelopmentoftheKosciuszkostatue beforetheCongressinMay 1902foran established,andtocreateaharmonious
inLafayetteParkwasinfactintertwined equestrianstatueofBaronvonSteuben, setting,thetworemainingspotswould
withastatuetoyetanotherPolishpatriot, whichcoincidedwiththededicationof havetobeoccupiedbysimilarfigures.
CasimirPulaski.Thetwostatueswould theRochambeaustatue. Eventually,these SincePulaskicouldnotoccupythissite
eventuallybededicatedinWashington twoseparatelegislativeinitiativeswere inaformthatwasacceptabletoboththe
onthesamedayinalavishdemonstra- combinedintoonebillthatbecamelaw PolishAmericangroupsandtheFederal
tionofPolishAmericanpride.Pulaski, onFebruary27, 1903.Thelegislation government,PolishAmericansproposeda
likeKosciuszko,camefromPolandto authorizedthecreation
fightintheAmericanRevolutionandis ofcommissionsfor
consideredbymanyas"theFatherofthe eachstatue,anditis
AmericanCavalry."SoonafterPulaski's withintherecordsofthe
deathinOctober 1779fromwounds PulaskiandVonSteuben
sustainedinbattle,theContinental StatueCommissionsthat
Congressissuedaresolutionpledging informationisfound
amonumenttoPulaski.Itwasnotuntil regardingtheKosciuszko
—
theearly20thcenturythattheAmerican statue'splacement an
Congressfinallyfulfilledthispromise. importantdetailthat
Attheturnofthe20thcentury, shedslightonwhythe
thePolishNationalAlliance (PNA)was finallegislationfor
justoneofthePolishfraternalsocieties theKosciuszkostatue
thatevolvedconcurrentlywithincreas- specificallyprovides
ingPolishimmigrationtotheUnited foritsplacementin
States.ThePNAwasfoundedin 1880 Lafayette Park.
inPhiladelphiaundertheleadershipof TheKosciuszko
JulianLipinski,JulianSzajnert,andJohn statue'sdevelopment
Popielinski.Thesemenproposedanew didnotfollowtheregu-
—
federation ZwiazekNarodowyPolski or larlegislativeprocess
PolishNationalAlliancetoworkforthe thattypicallycreated
preservationofethnicconsciousness memorialsandstat- Braverygrouponthewestface ofthe Kosciuszko Statue
andprideamongPolishAmericans.One uesattheturnofthe pedestal, nps^terryadams
statueofKosciuszkoasagifttotheUnited concerningthestatue'sunveilingandsite JHgf^.^
Statesforthissite.Inturn,thegovernment preparationwaspassedin 1910,provid-
proposed,andPolishAmericansagreed,to ing$3,500forlayingsod,asphaltwalks, ^Hd ^iiW
"'••fc-!L
erectthePulaskistatueatasmalltriangular grading,addingsoilasneeded,granite
5
blockonthenorthsideofPennsylvania copingforposts,andforcopingaround S.
Avenuebetween 13thand 14thStreets. themonument. Ofthe $3,500requested,
Inthe 1970sPennsylvaniaAvenuewas $1,500wouldbeusedforinspectionsand
redesigned,andthePulaskistatueandthe theunveilingceremonyinMay 1910. ^^^aS9 uftk;''m
triangleblockwhereitstoodwereincor- Operationally,thelegislationaccept-
r
poratedintothelargerFreedomPlaza. ingthegiftoftheKosciuszkostatuecre- ^^HK&i M -
Actingonthisplan,sixmenrep- atedaFederalcommissionforthestatue r
resentingover250,000membersfrom comprisedofthesecretaryofwar,William . $-•.;/•»*$* i/ .: -^wfc;
sixdifferentPolishAmericanorganiza- HowardTaft(whowouldbepresidentat
tionssentanofficialletteronJanuary14, thetimeoftheunveilinginMay 1910);
1904,toPresidentTheodoreRoosevelt. thechairmenoftheCommitteeson
Theletterexpressedadesiretopresent theLibraryoftheSenateandHouseof K^gS/
"totheUnitedStatesasuitablestatue Representatives,GeorgeP.Wetmoreand
ofThaddeusKosciuszko"andthatitbe JamesM.McCleary,respectively;private
placedinLafayette Park.Theletterfurther secretarytothesecretaryofwar,FredW.
statedthisgiftwouldserve"asatoken Carpenter;andsuperintendentofPublic
oftheloyaltyanddevotionfeltbythe BuildingsandGrounds,ColonelCharles Kosciuszko bronzefigure, nps/terryadams
PolishpeopleoftheUnitedStatesfortheir S.Bromwell.Anon-governmentalcentral
adoptedcountryandforthelibertiesof committeewasalsoformedcomprised
which,nowsohappilyenjoyedbythem, ofmembersofthePolishAmerican estimatedthecostfortheKosciuszko
Kosciuszkosonoblyfought."Theletter organizationsthatsignedtheoriginal statuetobebetween$35,000and$40,000.
empoweredTheodoreM.Helinski,who January1904offerlettertoRoosevelt. Fundraisingforthestatuewascon-
wasalreadythepresidentofthePulaski The centralcommittee,charged ductedatall levelsandincludedlarge
MonumentPolishCentralCommittee withtheprimaryresponsibilityforexecu- individualcontributions,community
toconferwithPresidentRoosevelt. tionofthestatue,metimmediately events,and "assessments."Atits 16th
Helinski,aPolishimmigrantandsecre- afterthelegislationwassignedand CongressinOctober 1905,thePNA
taryofthePolishNationalAlliance,led beganplanningforthenecessaryfund- imposeduponitsmembersa"tax" of
theefforttoreconciletheplacementof raising.Asplansprogressed,thecentral twocentspermonth.The PNA'staxpro-
thePulaskistatueinconcertwiththe committeeencounteredreluctance videdover$75,000ofthenearly$77,000
newofferoftheKosciuszkostatue. onthepartofseveralorganizationsto ultimatelyraisedforthecreationofthe
Followingtheofferletter,onJanuary moveforward,duelargelytothewell- Kosciuszkostatue.Thefinalcostofthe
21, 1904,MinnesotaRepresentativeJames documentedpowerstrugglesbetween statue includingassociatedadministra-
TMcClearyintroducedHouseJoint PolishCatholicorganizationsandthe tivefeestotaledapproximately$46,000.
Resolution84(HJR84)toacceptthe moresecularPNA. Eventually,anumber
offermadebyPolishAmericancitizens. ofthosewhosignedthe originalpropo- The Kosciuszko Statue
Twodayslater,Rooseveltsentaletterto sitionforthegiftwithdrewtheirsup- Competition and
ColonelThomasSymons,superinten- port,leavingthe PNAtomove forward
Antoni Popiel
dentofPublicBuildingsandGrounds, alone. PolishAmericanorganizersin
conveyinghiswishtocomplywiththe ChicagoundertheleadershipofHelinski
Polishgroups'offer. Symonsreplied andthe PNAfinallyconvenedtheir Thesecondmajorquestionthatdomi-
tothepresidentthatthe "liberaland Washington,D.C.,KosciuszkoMonument natedthecommittee'splanningwashow
patrioticofferofthePolishSocietiesof CentralCommittee comprisedofT M. toconductadesigncompetition.The
America"couldbeaccepted.Threedays Helinski,president;M.B. Steczynski, committeewasuncertainastothestyleof
lateronJanuary28,PresidentRoosevelt vicepresident;M.Durski,treasurer;S.T. statuetheFederalcommissionwouldfind
senttotheCongresstheletterfromthe Orpiszewski,financialsecretary;and acceptable,andhowexactlytoproceed
J.
PolishorganizationsalongwithSymons' M. Sienkiewicz,correspondingsecretary. withadesigncompetition.Thecommittee
report.InhismessagetoCongress,the Intheearlyplanningstages,twoques- wasnotinterestedinbreakingnewground
Presidentadvisedthatthe "verypatri- tionspredominatedthecentralcommit- artistically,butratherwantedtoprovide
oticofferofthePolishorganizationsbe tee'sdeliberations.First,howtoraisethe theFederalcommissionwithaworkthat
accepted."Theresolutiontoacceptthe necessaryfundstopayforthedesignand wouldbeacceptable.Consequentlyin
offerfromPolishAmericansforastatue castingofthebronzesforthestatueand announcingthecompetition,picturesof
ofKosciuszkotobeplacedatLafayette granitepedestal,andsecondhowtocon- theLafayetteandRochambeaustatues
Parkpassedandwasorderedprinted ductadesigncompetition.Basedonother weretobesenttothePolishnewspa-
onApril 18, 1904.Additionallegislation statuesatLafayettePark,thecommittee pers,especiallyTygodnikIllustowanyin
ByDecember21, 1906, morelinearwithathinnerandtaller
themodelswereinplace pedestal.ThecentralfigureofKosciuszko
attheCorcoranandready hadlessmilitarybearing,andthesur-
forreview.Thecommission roundingbasefigureswereallstanding.
appointedajudges'panel Inalettertothecommission,the
comprisedofprominent juryvoicedconcernsoverwhether
AmericansculptorsLorado Lewandowski'ssculpturecouldbe
Taft,HenryM. Shrady,and executedwithintheallottedbudget.
DanielChesterFrench, Theyalsofeltthat"forartisticreasonsthe
whoforunknownreasons subordinategroupsshouldbeofstone"
declinedtheappointment. contrarytothecompetitionguidelines,
Thecommissiondecided whichstatedsubordinatefiguresmustbe
tomoveforwardwithonly inbronze.Thejudgesthennotedthatif
twojudges,TaftandShrady. forsomereasonLewandowski'smodel
Taft'screditsinWashington, couldnotbeexecuted,Popiel'ssubmis-
D.C,include Columbus sion"subjecttoslightmodificationsin
Fountain (1912) atUnion itsarchitecture"wouldbeaccepted.
Station.Shradyisperhaps Thenextday,January4, 1907,
bestknownforhissculpture, theFederalcommissionconsistingof
the UlyssesS. GrantMemorial SecretaryofWarTaft,SenatorWetmore,
(1922),locatedatthefoot andRepresentativeMcClearyreviewed
ofCapitolHill.Thesetwo themodelsandawardedfirstplaceto
artistsreviewedthemod- themodelbyAntoniPopiel,asitwas
elsonJanuary3, 1907,and consideredmoresuitableforplace-
determinedthatthemodel mentatLafayetteParkthanthemodel
Antoni Popiel'sdesign submission model, 1906. (Source: byStanislawLewandowski byLewandowski. PresidentRoosevelt
RecordsoftheOfficeofPublic Buildingsand Public Parks ofViennashowedthemost alsofavoredPopiel'ssubmissionover
inthe National Capital, RG 42, National Archivesand merit,followedbythemod- Lewandowski,althoughthereasons
RecordsAdministration.) nationalarchives elsbyAntoni ^^^^^^
Popieland
Warsawtoillustratetoprospectiveartists JulienBeltowski,both
whatwouldbeanacceptableformfor fromLvivinpresent-day
thestatue.Thefinalguidelinesstipulated Ukraine.TeofilKoszarek
thatthecompetitionwouldbeopenonly ofPariswasawardedan
toPolishsculptorslivinganywhereinthe "honorablemention."
world;thecostofthestatuewithpedestal Thefirstplacefinisher,
wouldbelimitedtobetween$35,000and StanislawLewandowski
$40,000;theheightofthefigure,pedes- wasaPolishsculptorwho
tal,andbasemustbebetween30and32 hadstudiedattheAcademy
feet;andallmodelsweretobesubmitted ofFineArtsinVienna.His
byDecember 1, 1906,totheCorcoran winningdesigndepictedthe
GalleryofArtinWashington,D.C. Polishheroinhisgeneral's
The competitionguidelinesclearly uniformatopalowergroup
placedalimitonanartist'sinterpreta- consistingof13allegorical
tionofKosciuszkosincetheystipulated figuresrepresentinglibera-
thatKosciuszkomustbe represented tion,progress,civilization,
standing,dressedin "thecontinental industry,andprosperity.
uniformofanAmericanGeneral,on Beltkowski'sthird
agranitepedestal,aboutwhichareto placeentryalsoshowed
begroupedappropriateallegoricalfig- KosciuszkoinhisContinental
ures."Allthe figuresweretobecastin armyuniform.Allegoricalsin-
bronzeandthe pedestalwouldbemade gularformssurroundedthe
of"thebestgranite." Blackgranitewas baseandposedinaninterest-
specificallyprohibited. Prizeswould ingarrangementofvarying
beawardedforfirstplace ($1,000), positionsthatdrewtheeye Stanislaw Lewandowski'sfirst placedesign model, 1906.
secondplace ($600),andthirdplace upwardtothecentralfigure. (Source: Recordsofthe Officeof Public Buildingsand Public
($400),baseduponthefinalapprovalof Koszarek'shonorablemen- Parks in the National Capital, RG 42, National Archivesand
theKosciuszkoStatueCommission. tionsubmissionwasvertically RecordsAdministration.) nationalarchives
8
forhischoicearenotapparent.The whereheestablisheda
centralcommitteeacceptedthejudg- temporaryresidence.Acon-
mentoftheFederalcommission,paid tractwasenteredintoon
theartiststheirawards,andentered October29, 1907,between
intoanagreementwithAntoni Popiel. theartistandtheKosciuszko
AntoniPopiel (1865-1910) islargely MonumentCentral
unknownintheworldofAmericansculp- Committee.Thecontract
ture. HewasborninSzczakowa,Poland, stipulatedthatPopielwould
in 1865andstudiedattheKrakowSchool executethestatue,withside
ofFineArtsfrom 1882to 1884underthe groupsandemblemsinclay
directionofWladyslawLuszczkiewicz, andplasterandsuperintend
IzydorJablonski,andProfessorWalery thecasting,erection,and
Gadomski.Hecontinuedhisworkatthe placingoftheseonthepedes-
AcademyofFineArtsinViennafrom 1885 talinLafayettePark.Popiel's
to 1888.HisprincipalworksinPolandare compensationwassetat
hismonumentstoAdamMickiewicz(Lviv, $17,000.Themonumentwas
Ukraine 1904;Krynica,Poland 1906).He tobecompletedanderected
alsocollaboratedwithhisfather-in-law, nolaterthanApril 15, 1910.
LeonardoMarconi,onaKosciuszkostatue ByFebruary1908, 16months
attheentrancetoKrakow'sWawelCastle. afterenteringintothecon-
OtherimportantworksbyPopielinclude tract,Popielhadcompleteda
monumentstoPolishRomanticwriters full-scalemodelofthestatue
KornelUjejskiandJozefKorzeniowski andsubsidiarygroups.
inBrody,Ukraine;amonumenttoPolish Afewdifferencesare
chemistAndrzejSniadeckiatLwow visiblebetweenPopiel's
UniversityinLwow,Poland;aPietagroup competitionmodeland Julien Beltkowski'sthird placedesign model, 1906. (Source:
forasepulchralchapelinLancut,Poland; thefinaldesignthatnow Recordsofthe OfficeofPublic Buildingsand Public Parks in
anddecorativefacadeworkfortheLviv standsatLafayettePark. the National Capital, RG 42, National Archivesand Records
Administration.) nationalarchives
(Ukraine)TheaterofOperaandBallet. TheContinentalsoldier,
SoonaftercompletingtheKosciuszko graspingtheflagandassist-
statueforWashington,D.C.,in 1909, ingthefallenfigure,wearsatricornered LafayettePark,BerchemandAmericanArt
PopielwentbacktoPolandbutreturnedin hat.Thesoldierinthecompetitionmodel FoundryalsocasttheKosciuszkomonu-
thespringof1910toassistwiththedesign worenohat.Inthesecondgrouping,the mentinChicagoandthegreatlionsatthe
andplacementofthegranitepedestal. Polishpeasantsoldierhasonehandonthe entrancetotheArtInstituteofChicago.
Alreadyillduringthistime,hereturned scytheandtheotheronthefallensoldier's Reportedly,Berchemwouldlatertravel
toPolandandwasunabletoparticipatein shoulder;inthecompetitionmodel,both toWashingtontosupervisethesettings
theunveilingceremoniesinMay.Hedied handsheldthescythe.Thesetwofigures ofthegroups,whichwasaccomplished
twomonthslaterinJulyattheageof45. onthefinaldesignalsofacetheopposite byalocalcontractor,J.M.Falvey.
directionfromthoseonthemodel,their OnJune 1, 1908,theKosciuszko
Creating the Statue facesarenowvisiblewhenviewingthe MonumentCentralCommitteeentered
frontornorthfaceofthestatue.The intoacontractwiththeKyleGranite
AntoniPopielsubmittedhismodelfor centralshaftdepictingKosciuszkoalso CompanyofWashingtonD.C.Thecon-
thedesigncompetitionwhileresidingin seemstohaveundergonesomealteration, tractfor$6,175statedthatKyleGranite
Lviv,whichistodayinwesternUkraine. reflectingamoreforceful,determined, would"furnishandsetcomplete"a
Heinscribedhiscompetitiondesign andlesscontrappostostance.Theswordin granitepedestalofselectedlightBarre,
withtheemblemForFreedominBoth hislefthandisgrippedmoretightlythan Vermontgranitethatwouldbe"free
Hemispheres.ThefigureofKosciuszkois inthemodel,withthethumbengaged fromknots,starts,sap,discolorationor
ofanofficerobservingthefortification andpointing.Hisrightlegstandingona anyblemishesorcracks."SmithGranite
works.Thegroupontheleftside (east) cannonislikewisebearingmoreweight. CompanyofWesley,RhodeIsland,made
representsFreedomandthegrouponthe Oncethefinalmodelwasaccepted, thepedestal.Thegraniteworkandthe
rightside (west) isBravery.Atthefront thenextstepwastoactuallycastthe constructionofthepedestalweretobe
(north) ofthestatueisthehemisphere bronzecentralshaftandsidegroups doneinaccordancewiththedimensions
Americawithaneagledefendingthe andalsotocarvethegranitepedestal. anddifferenttreatmentsassetforthinthe
flagandcoatofarms.Attherear(south) JulesBerchem,theownerandfounder drawingmadebyPopiel.ByAugust30,
ofthestatueisthehemisphereEurope ofAmericanArtBronzeFoundryin 1909,thebronzecentralshaftandside
andaneaglefightingwithasnake. Chicago,Illinois,wasultimatelyselected groupswerecastandreadyforshipment
Afterwinningthecontest,Popiel tocastthemonument'sbronzes.Besides toWashington,overeightmonthsahead
cametoChicagoinSeptember 1907, theKosciuszkostatueandgroupingsin ofthescheduleddedicationinMay 1910.
a
The Statue problemwithalignmentduringthesetting and commemorative itemscollectedby
ofthebronzefigureagainstthegranite. thePNAin 1910suchasearthfromthe
TheKosciuszkostatuestands30feet. Additionalinscriptionsthatwere KosciuszkoMound in Krakow,com-
Thefreestandingpedestrianfigureof notpartofPopiel'soriginalmodelnow memorative medals,periodicalsofthe
Kosciuszkorises 10feet8inchesoffa appearonthestatue.Only"Kosciuszko," day,andacopyoftheCongressional
granitepedestalandbasemeasuring 19 "Saratoga,"and "Raclawice"werepart legislationauthorizingthestatue.
feet4incheshighsittingonabasemeasur- oftheoriginalsubmission.The Polish Standingtodayatthe Kosciuszko
ing22feet9inchesby20feet9inchesat NationalAlliance,asbenefactorsofthe statue,onemaywonderattherather
thegroundlevel.Kosciuszko,abrigadier statue,addedthelanguageinscribed unfortunate orientation ofthestatue. It
general,isshownintheuniformofa onthesouthsideofthepedestaljust doesnotfacetheWhite Houseandthe
Continentalarmyofficerwithepaulets, beforethestatue'sdedication.Thefirst broadexpanseofPennsylvaniaAvenue
sash,andtallboots.Hisdemeanorispur- lineofthisinscriptionwastakenfrom astheLafayetteandRochambeaustat-
poseful,and hisposturenobleandener-
getic.Inhisrighthandheholdstheplans
forhisfortificationworks,andinhisleft
heholdsasword.SurroundingKosciuszko
onfoursidesareallegoricalgroupscastin
bronze. Belowhimonthenorthfaceof
thepedestalisinscribed"Kosciuszko."
FlankingKosciuszkoontheeastand
westsidesarefiguresrepresentinghis
contributionstotheAmericanandPolish
strugglesforindependence.Theeastside
groupwiththeflagstaffmeasuresover9
feetinheightandrepresentstheAmerican
Revolution.Afigureintheuniformofthe
Continentalarmycutsloosethetiesfrom
—
aroundthewaistofareclinedfigure
futurefreecitizenoftheUnitedStates.
Thewestsidegroupmeasuringjustover
8feetinheightrepresentsKosciuszko's
contributionstothe Polishcausefor
independence.Thisgroupreferences
Kosciuszko'svictoryatRaclawicewhere
heled6,000Polishregularsandpeasant
militiaagainstamuchlargerRussianforce.
ThestandingfigurerepresentsthePolish
peasantarmywithfolkdress,ahomespun Kosciuszko Statuewith largeelm tree in foreground, ca. 1950. us.commissionoffinearts
coat,andwearingasquarepointedhat.
HestandswithascytheshelteringaPolish "ThePleasureofHope,"atraditional, ues,norisitoriented atanangle,likethe
officerwhopointsintothedistancewith 18thcenturyheroicpoembyThomas von Steubenstatue facingConnecticut
hisrighthand.Onthenorthandsouth Campbell: "ANDFREEDOMSHRIEKED Avenue. Rather,Kosciuszkostands
sidesarefiguresofeaglesonpartialglobes /ASKOSCIUSZKOFELL."Belowthisis preciselydue northonHStreetfacing
orhemispheres.Onthenorthface,meas- inscribed: ERECTEDBYTHE/POLISH abuildinginstead ofVermontAvenue.
uringover5feethighistheeagleofthe NATIONALALLIANCEOFAMERICA Atthetimeofthestatue's dedicationa
westernhemisphereexpandingitswings ANDPRESENTEDTOTHE/UNITED largeoldelmtree,probablyplantedas
toprotecttheAmericanflag.Belowon STATESONBEHALFOFTHE/POLISH partofCharlesBulfinch's 19thcentury
thebaseistheinscription "Saratoga."On AMERICANCITIZENS/MAY11,1910. planforthepark,stood justafewsteps
thesouthfaceofthestatueistheeagleof Laterinscriptions,addedin 1979 fromthestatue.Topositionitatanangle,
theeasternhemisphere.Thefigurerises atthe requestofthe PNA,includeon likethevonSteubenstatue,wouldhave
over4feetandshowsaneaglefightinga theeastbase,GENERALTHADDEUS itdirectlyfacingthetrunkofalargeelm
snakeorserpentthatcurlsthroughparts KOSCIUSKO/ 1746-1817/SONOF tree,aplacementthatwouldhaveseemed
ofEuropeandAsia.Belowisinscribed POLANDandonthewestbase,MILITARY odd,andmaybe evenoffensivetosome.
"Raclawice."Foranunknownreason ENGINEER/INTHEAMERICAN Despiteitscloseproximitytothestatue
thiseaglehadaportionofthebottom REVOLUTION/FORTIFIEDSARATOGA greatcarewas exercised overtheyearsto
ofthewingclosesttothegranitebase ANDWESTPOINT.Finally,setinsidethe sustainthe elm;eventuallyitwasremoved
shearedoff.Themissingsegmentisclearly base ofthe monumentisacopper"time sometimebetween 1953 and 1960
definedsuggestingtheremayhavebeena capsule" boxcontainingdocuments becauseofitsdeteriorated condition.
10