National Register of Historic Places

Gibbons, James, Cardinal

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
October 10, 2007
Type
Object
Period
Listed
Ref No.
07001051

About this property

The James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Statue is a public artwork by Leo Lentelli, located at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, 16th Street and Park Road Northwest, Washington, D.C., United States. The James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Statue was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! survey in 1993. It was listed with the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It is a bronze figure of James Gibbons seated, wearing cardinal's robes. In his proper left hand he holds a cross which hangs from his neck. His proper right hand is raised as if giving a blessing. The base, which is made of granite and stands at a height of 8 ft. and width of 10 ft., and weighs 2,500 pounds, has a relief of a shield topped with an ecclesiastical hat called a galero. The shield has the coat of arms of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore on the left, joined with the Cardinal's personal coat of arms on the right. Around the shield are rows of tassels that represent the ranks of clergy. In this case, 15 rows indicate Gibbons' rank as Cardinal. The James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Statue was authorized by Congress and President Calvin Coolidge on April 23, 1928. The piece was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and cost, at no expense to the United States, $35,998. The piece was unveiled on August 14, 1932. John F. Connelly attended the dedication ceremony. The sculpture was installed to coincide with the Knights of Columbus' 50th anniversary. They chose to dedicate a sculpture on behalf of Gibbons because of his "preeminence as a great American." The sculpture was created in Lentelli's New York studio. On February 22, 2007, the Gibbons Memorial was declared a Washington, D.C., historic site. On October 11, 2007, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial on dcMemorials Archived 2010-09-20 at the Wayback Machine.

Location

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.93325, -77.03610

Categories

ART
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Marconi, Guglielmo, Memorial
Listed
0.1 mi
Buildings at 1644-1666 Park Road NW
Colonial
0.1 mi
Mount Pleasant Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Listed
0.1 mi
Embassy Building No. 10
Colonial
0.1 mi
Hilltop Manor (The Cavalier Apartment Building)
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

DC Defenses — Fort DeRussy Engagement 1864
1864Civil War
2.8 mi
Engagement at Fort Stevens (Early's Washington Raid)
1864Civil War
2.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Gibbons, James, Cardinal listed on the National Register?

Gibbons, James, Cardinal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Gibbons, James, Cardinal?

Gibbons, James, Cardinal is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Gibbons, James, Cardinal?

The period of significance for Gibbons, James, Cardinal is recorded as the listed era.

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