Peace Monument

The Peace Monument, also known as the Naval Monument or Civil War Sailors Monument, stands in the Peace Circle at the western edge of the Capitol grounds, where Pennsylvania Avenue meets First Street. The 13-metre white marble shaft was unveiled in 1877; sculptor Franklin Simmons carved it in Rome. It commemorates Union sailors who died in the Civil War. America the Historic stands at the top with her writing tablet; below her, the figure of Grief weeps on the shoulder of History - one of the few Washington monuments where mourning is openly shown. The fountain at the base is drained in winter. Most tourists pass it on the walk from the Capitol to the Mall.