While this monument can be found in Washington, DC, it honors a different George. George Mason was an American Founding Father and Virginia statesman. He wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, an inspiration for Thomas Jefferson as he prepared the Declaration of Independence.
According to the National Park Service, Mason is a “neglected” Founding Father but having a monument in Washington, DC, doesn’t seem to fall under the category of “neglect.” And yet my husband and I had an extremely difficult time finding the statue of Mason, making me question where they had hidden this obscure patriot.
A two-minute drive from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, we just could not locate Mason. Deciding to try another day, we employed Google earth, Google maps and online instructions from other Mason seekers. We were armed and slightly dangerous on the second attempt. This was now an official quest.
The next try was a success. There in East Potomac Park was George Mason in bronze, by sculptor Wendy Ross, beneath a trellis, alongside a circular garden, fountain, and walls inscribed with his writings. Seated on a marble bench in a relaxed, leaning pose, his tri-corner hat, walking stick, and a few books are scattered beside him.
The memorial was dedicated in 2002 and was the first in the Tidal Basin area to honor a figure other than a president. Despite Mason helping to draft the United States Constitution, he did not sign it because it did not abolish the slave trade. Not mentioned at this monument is the fact that Mason was one of Virginia’s largest slave owners and never freed any of them.
Our Founding Fathers made history by making a country, but first and foremost, they were flawed humans who sometimes made terrible mistakes
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