Ward Circle is a
traffic circle
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford E ...
at the intersection of Nebraska and
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
Avenues in
Northwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...
,
Washington, D.C. The circle, totaling , is owned and administered by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational proper ...
through its
Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1890 and today is administered by the National Park Service. In addition to the park proper, the Rock Cr ...
unit.
On three sides is the campus of
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was char ...
, while the fourth is occupied by the
Nebraska Avenue Complex
Nebraska Avenue Complex (also called NAC), located at 3801 Nebraska Avenue NW in, Washington D.C. It was the former headquarters of the Mount Vernon Seminary and the Navy Communication Security Section and other U.S. military organizations. Cur ...
, a U.S. government facility.
The circle was constructed and landscaped in the 1930s to display the bronze, memorial
statue of Artemas Ward.
Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
was the first Commander-in-Chief in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.
Sculptor
Leonard Crunelle
Leonard Crunelle (July 8, 1872 in Lens, Pas-de-Calais – 1944) was a French-born American sculptor especially known for his sculptures of children. Crunelle immigrated with his family to the United States and worked as a coal miner in Decatur, ...
created the statue over a three-year period, while the base and pedestal were built by J. F. Manning Co.
[Artemas Ward Marker Plans, Site Approved: Work on Monument to War Hero to Start Next Week]
. ''The Washington Post''. September 21, 1937. p. 13. The pedestal is made from
Stony Creek granite.
[
The president and fellows of ]Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
donated the $50,000 to cover the cost of the statue.[ The donation fulfilled the terms of the will of Artemus Ward, an alumnus of Harvard and the great-grandson of Maj. Gen. Artemus Ward.][Ward Statue to be Unveiled on Thursday: Delano to Preside Woodring to Speak Memorial to General]
. ''The Washington Post''. October 31, 1938. p. X3. The statue was unveiled on November 3, 1938, by Mrs. Wesley Feick, the great-great-granddaughter of Maj. Gen. Ward.[ ]Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of th ...
Harry Hines Woodring
Harry Hines Woodring (May 31, 1887September 9, 1967) was an American politician. A Democrat, he was the 25th Governor of Kansas and the United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1933 to 1936. His most important role was Secretary of War in Pr ...
spoke at the unveiling.[
Located on the west side of the circle, the home of American University's School of Public Affairs was named for and is still sometimes known as ''Ward Circle''. In 2017, the official name of the building was changed to ''Kerwin Hall'' after former university president Cornelius M. Kerwin.]
See also
* List of circles in Washington, D.C.
References
External links
Ward Circle – Wikimapia
American University Park
Squares, plazas, and circles in Washington, D.C.
Streets in Washington, D.C.
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