There’s a statue on Mount Washington, high above Pittsburgh, that tells an important story, It depicts George Washington and Seneca leader Guyasuta in a tense dialog and is titled “Point Of View.”
The meeting took place in 1770 around a campfire as the two discussed the future of this region which was at the western edge of the British colonies. It was still wilderness and home to only about 200 white people.
This bronze sculpture was created by Pittsburgh native James West and dedicated in 2006. There’s a terrific narrative on this website if you are interested in the full history. Click here.
I want to point out how important this statue is. For one, public art of any kind is always special and this piece is particularly wonderful because it tells a story that is still relevant as we continue to have tense conversations regarding the future of this place we call America.
It’s also important because it captures one moment in time and tells a much bigger story that is not taught in schools. It brings to life something that might otherwise be just a footnote in a book. I’m a history buff and still often found high school history class an absolute snooze. I marvel at how we take interesting stories and reduce them to something so dull.
So it’s gratifying when art collides with a fascinating story like this one to create a powerful testament to our origins.
Also, know that you get a great view of the city from up here and that this is the best place to catch the sunrise.
If you go looking for it, know that there is not one online source that provides good directions to this statue. Not one. It is located on Grandview Avenue at the corner of Sweetbriar Street on Mount Washington. It’s a relatively short walk from the incline stations.
On a tree lined street in Philadelphia’s Old Town, you will find a brick walled park where people gather in the mornings for guided yoga. Here you might find a little boy chasing a squirrel as his dad tags along behind. There might be an elderly couple sitting quietly as they take in the world around them.
These are some things I saw in Washington Square one late summer morning last year. We were intrigued by this place with its mix of old and new and a monument of some sort on the other side of the square. We were surprised to find ourselves standing before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution.
Despite the city’s commitment to preserving history, it never even occurred to me that such a thing would exist. This memorial honors the soldiers who died during the Revolutionary War. It was humbling to learn that many of them were buried in mass graves right here in this square.
There’s a statue of George Washington and an eternal flame. The tomb includes remains which were disinterred from beneath the square. The plaque on the tomb, which was completed in 1957, reads “Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington’s army who died to give you liberty.”
There are other words carved into the side of the tomb. The phrase that resonated most with me is a phrase from President Washington’s farewell address in 1796. “The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts of common dangers, suffering and success.”
The other quote I liked best reads “Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.”
My friend knelt on the ground before the monument and watched the flicker of the eternal flame. I stood, drinking in the sights, smells and sounds of this place that felt so sacred and so important. I was grateful there were no crowds to muck up the peace and reverence of this place. Yet, I was pleased to realize that this sacred ground appeals to those who seek a place to reflect as well as a young man with his small child who hopefully is teaching that youngster to respect the past.
After all, everyone prospers when we all remember the progress, accomplishments, failures, and sins of our own past.
We took our time here. It was a beautiful, reflective place to pause. On this cold January day when the nation has a conflicted view of who we are and who we ought to be, I’m glad I had that morning to reflect and to silently thank those brave soldiers who gave all while fighting for a vision and a dream for the life democracy would give their families.
Washington Square and the tomb are part of Independence National Historic Park. There are tons of opportunities to interact with the past. This is just one of them. I hope you will someday find your way there to tour Independence Hall, to admire the Liberty Bell, and to sit where Betsy Ross worshiped. It’s an eye opening trip.
Silence is underrated. So is being in the presence of history. Once in a while, I’m fortunate to find myself in a place so heavy with significance that you can feel the sacredness vibrate through your body if you know how to listen for it in the silence.
I’m grateful that I appreciate these things and that I know how to wait for the vibrations.
Day two of our Philadelphia adventure was marvelously packed with all kinds of good things. Breakfast from a cute cafe around the corner, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’ home, a ridiculously good lunch at an Irish Pub, shopping, and the list goes on. We really packed it in.
But at some point that day, we found ourselves having just escaped a chaotic place and standing on the sidewalk outside Christ Church.
This church was founded in 1695 and is the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church. This building was constructed in 1744 and the steeple was added ten years later thanks to a fundraiser organized by Benjamin Franklin.
Those founders of our nation who believed in the concept of separation of church and state? Many of them worshiped here.
George Washington, John Adams, Robert Morris (financier of the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution), Benjamin Rush (signer of the Declaration of Independence, members of the Continental Congress and many others prayed here, knelt here and sought spiritual guidance for the revolutionary ideas that helped to build a new nation.
It was five bucks to go in and look around. Ten for a guided tour. All the money goes back to the preservation of the property and they have done a great job at that.
Friends, I got to sit in the pew where Betsy Ross worshiped. I got to sit as the world went by around me and consider the perspective that she had on the world while she was quietly sewing her place into American history.
There were a few other visitors like us. My friend chatted with a volunteer. I sat quietly and soaked in my surroundings. I wasn’t interested in talking or learning. I didn’t want to make new friends. I wanted to just absorb the air around me, to feel the pew, to notice how the floor felt beneath my feet and to appreciate the soaring ceiling that reached toward the heavens.
It was the most peace I have felt in a long time and I was beyond grateful to have that experience.
We were preparing to leave when three women marched in the front door, past the sign with admission details and started past the young woman who was selling admission tickets. She was extremely polite as she welcomed the ladies and let them know there is a $5 admission. The women looked annoyed and one said “well, it isn’t worth that!” They turned and left without even saying thank you.
Don’t be those women. Be a nice visitor. Pay attention to your surroundings and at least be polite to the volunteers or the low paid service workers who are there to help. Honestly, the experience I had in that old church was worth more than the price of admission. Not to mention, it goes to a good cause. Imagine the weight of responsibility being caretakers for such an important piece of our nation’s history.
I walked away completely at peace, breathing better and feeling more equipped to take on the rest of the day. It was well worth the time and money to have such a close brush with our nation’s past on sacred ground. Worship in person or visit them online for information.
The Smithsonian had an exhibit about the Presidents and First Ladies when I visited a couple of years ago. It featured many artifacts including dresses, a car, campaign materials and even some promotional products that were downright mean.
My approach to museum appreciation is scattered. Sometimes I read all the signs and study all the things. However, on this trip, I found myself simply marveling at some of the items and what they represent. For example, I used to play the saxophone so I have seen a few but seeing Bill Clinton’s saxophone was an entirely different experience.
Pictured here is the state china service chosen by First Lady Julia Dent Grant. Imagine the important people who dined from this gorgeous floral pattern. It’s still so vibrant!
This armchair sat in George Washington’s bedroom at Mount Vernon. In that same case, you’ll find a surveyor’s compass that was gifted to Washington in 1782.
The real show stopper for me was this top hat that was worn by Abraham Lincoln the night he was assassinated. The hat was handmade by a Washington hat maker. Notice the silk mourning band that was added in remembrance of his son Willie. It is hard to see in this case but simply standing before it was an incredibly moving experience.
Another important piece that truly meant something to me was this CBS radio microphone used by FDR to broadcast his fireside chats. From 1933 to 1944, he broadcast more than 30 chats, offering a reassuring tone and helping the American people to develop a rapport with their President.
Young people today are so accustomed to political leaders Tweeting all the time and monopolizing the 24/7 news cycle they don’t know what it was like to not have some intimate familiarly with their president. I imagine it was a true gift for our citizens to hear from him as we struggled through the frightening days of the Great Depression and the Second World War.
Have you ever seen something in a museum that stopped you in your tracks? This has happened to me so many times but it never ever gets old. Tell me your stories!
The love of my country will be the ruling influence of my conduct… George Washington
I got to touch George Washington’s handrail while climbing the stairs at his Virginia home Mount Vernon. George Washington walked these stairs and maybe touched this handrail himself.
To be fair, everyone on the tour did the same and you could too. In fact, people have probably been touching Washington’s handrail since the house became a tourist destination over 150 years ago.
Even knowing that it’s an option available to the masses, it still felt like a special experience. After all, when you go on historic home tours you are typically asked to refrain from touching or photographing anything. In fact, they would likely prefer you didn’t breathe in some of those houses if that were a reasonable request.
Yet Mount Vernon is incredibly accessible. Tours are small and non-flash photography is encouraged. They invite guests to sit a spell on the back porch – listen to how Appalachian I am! They call it a piazza.
While Washington is the quintessential founding father of our nation, it is women who have protected and preserved his home for the public to enjoy all these years after his death.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association acquired the home in 1858. They bought it from Washington’s great-grand nephew and have since set the gold star for preservation, restoration and public accessibility for important historic homes.
A century later, those ladies caught wind that an oil tank farm was rumored for the banks of the Potomac River. This development would destroy the incredible view from the mansion’s piazza. Mrs. Frances Payne Bolton, Vice Regent for Ohio of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, purchased nearly 500 acres of that land which led her to organize one of the nation’s earliest land trusts.
President Kennedy would later sign into law the creation of the Piscataway National Park thus preserving this spectacular shoreline.
Restoration work is still constant and there is a great sense of care about the work being done here.
All walks of life tour this site every year. You hear lots of accents and other languages here. When my friend and I emerged from the path that leads from the visitor center to the home we were staring at the view made so famous by postcards, movies, textbooks and even commemorative plates.
We stood there absorbing the moment, each of us likely revisiting memories of what the house means to us. I was grateful to still have this place with its stately design and driveway lined with enormous old trees. It feels historic and it feels important.
This home, the estate and the man mean different things to different people. Washington is immortalized in a familiar portrait on our money and in a host of other ways. He was a smart man, always thinking and evolving, and not afraid to change his mind when new information became available.
There are many stories I could tell you from my visit here and some that I may circle back to another day. However, one thing that stands out in my memories is standing inside a building used for slave quarters. I believe it held bunk beds for ten. The space was sparse and depressing, fitting for a place that once held humans in bondage.
I cannot fathom what it was like to live here. I cannot imagine what it was like to be a wealthy white person whose livelihood and success, whose everyday life depended on the institution of slavery.
Everything they had, everything they hoped to be was possible because of the hundreds of enslaved souls who worked here throughout Washington’s life.
I read that Washington accepted slavery when he was a young man but began to question it after the Revolutionary War. He chose to keep his thoughts to himself for fear of dividing our young country. In his will, Washington ordered that his slaves be freed following his wife Martha’s death. I can’t help but wonder how things might be different had he expressed his views during his lifetime.
The tour here is exceptional. I appreciate that they tackle some tough issues factually and without apology while defining Washington’s place in our history.
If you go, there’s a great museum that I’ll tell you about another day. You can visit the final resting place of the President and First Lady while touring the grounds. There’s a cafe and a food truck and a fantastic gift shop with an amazing book section.
You could literally spend an entire day here if you wish and I wouldn’t blame you because it’s so well done.
As we approached Boonsboro, Maryland on the trek to Washington, we kept seeing signs for the Washington Monument. It obviously couldn’t be THE Washington Monument so I was a little confused.
That’s when my friend told me the story of this monument and what it means to the small community in rural Washington County.
This is the first monument dedicated to George Washington and has a heartwarming story of community spirit.
The people of Boonsboro gathered in the town square on the morning of July 4, 1827. Together they marched up South Mountain and built a fifteen feet tall dry-laid stone tower. Later in the year, workman came back and completed the tower to the height of thirty feet.
It was in a state of disrepair years later when it was used as a signal station by the Union Army during the Civil War. It was then restored by the local Odd Fellows Lodge, later damaged again, and eventually restored by the Civilian ConservationCorps in the thirties.
The area eventually became a state park with a shelter house, restrooms, a vehicle road up the mountain, museum, and access to the Appalachian Trail. The area is incredibly peaceful and is known for birdwatching as well as bears. We saw some birds but not any bears that day.
This Monument and landmark means a lot to the town as is evidenced by all the work done here over the years. This rustic stone tower, while humble, has much heart and patriotic significance as the nation’s first monument to our nation’s first president. I wrote about the other Washington Monument yesterday. Read about it here!
It is not a long hike up the mountain from the parking lot. However, the trail does go up a mountain. I don’t recall it being taxing but it could be if you’re not accustomed to that kind of physical exertion.
Learn more about Washington Monument State Park at their website.
