28 Dedication Photos of Familiar American Monuments
Every monument has a day when the scaffolding came down, the crowds arrived and a speaker declared it finished. Photographs of those days show the structures at their newest, surrounded by people who had waited years to see them. Many of the scenes look surprisingly different from the places visitors know today.
Dedication day was usually the one moment when an entire town, or an entire country, looked at the same object. The ceremonies that follow are tied to real dates, real speakers and real crowds.
The Washington Monument Was Dedicated in 1885 After Decades of Delay
The Washington Monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, with President Chester Arthur accepting the finished shaft on behalf of the nation. Construction had stalled for years before resuming, and a visible change in the color of the marble still marks the pause. The monument did not open to the public until 1888, so the dedication crowd admired it from the ground.
The Lincoln Memorial Opened on Memorial Day in 1922
The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922, with Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, in attendance. President Warren Harding spoke, and Chief Justice William Howard Taft accepted the memorial for the nation. Robert Russa Moton of Tuskegee also addressed the crowd, and Black attendees were seated in a separate section, a detail that gives the ceremony a sharper edge in hindsight.
The Statue of Liberty Was Unveiled in Fog in 1886
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, with President Grover Cleveland presiding over a ceremony on Bedloe’s Island. A large parade moved through New York earlier in the day, and fog and rain hung over the harbor during the event. The statue had been a gift from France, and the pedestal had taken years of fundraising to complete.
Mount Rushmore Dedicated Washington’s Face on Independence Day in 1930
The first head at Mount Rushmore, that of George Washington, was dedicated on July 4, 1930. Work on the carving continued for more than a decade, and the sculpture was declared complete in 1941. Visitors in 1930 saw a single face emerging from the granite rather than the four presidents known today.
The Jefferson Memorial Was Dedicated on Jefferson’s Birthday in 1943
President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the Jefferson Memorial on April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s birth. The memorial rose during a world war, and its construction sparked a public debate over the cutting of cherry trees on the site. The domed building was modeled on classical Roman architecture, a style Jefferson himself admired.
Grant’s Tomb Opened on the General’s Birthday in 1897
Grant’s Tomb in New York City was dedicated on April 27, 1897, which would have been Ulysses S. Grant’s 75th birthday. President William McKinley took part in the ceremony, and a large parade moved through the city. The tomb had taken years to fund, and thousands of small donations helped pay for it.
Bunker Hill Monument Was Dedicated Twice, Eighteen Years Apart
The cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument was laid on June 17, 1825, with the Marquis de Lafayette present. Daniel Webster delivered an oration at the cornerstone ceremony. The finished granite obelisk was dedicated on June 17, 1843, and Webster spoke again, giving the monument two dedication days.
The Gateway Arch Was Dedicated Years After Its Final Section Was Set
The final section of the Gateway Arch was placed on October 28, 1965, completing the stainless-steel curve over St. Louis. The formal dedication came on May 25, 1968, with Vice President Hubert Humphrey taking part. The gap between the two events means the arch stood finished for years before it received its official ceremony.
The Marine Corps War Memorial Was Dedicated on the Corps’ Birthday in 1954
The Marine Corps War Memorial, the statue of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, was dedicated on November 10, 1954, the Marine Corps birthday. President Dwight Eisenhower presided over the ceremony in Arlington, Virginia. The sculpture was based on a famous wartime photograph, which makes it a monument born from a news image.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Was Dedicated During a National Salute in 1982
— Photo by dinhhang
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982, during a weekend of events that drew veterans from across the country. The black granite wall carries the names of those killed or missing, and it was designed by a young architecture student, Maya Lin. Early debate over its design gave the dedication a more emotional charge than most.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Opened on an Armistice Anniversary in 1995
— Photo by Vacclav
The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the Korean armistice. President Bill Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young-sam took part in the ceremony. The date tied the memorial to the end of the fighting rather than its beginning.
The National World War II Memorial Was Dedicated in 2004
— Photo by sainaniritu
The National World War II Memorial was dedicated on May 29, 2004, with President George W. Bush presiding. Thousands of veterans from the war traveled to Washington for the event, many in their eighties. Its location between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument made it one of the most visible additions to the National Mall in decades.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Was Dedicated in 1997
— Photo by mkopka
President Bill Clinton dedicated the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial on May 2, 1997. The memorial’s outdoor rooms follow each of Roosevelt’s terms in office. A statue showing Roosevelt in a wheelchair was added later, after advocates argued that the memorial should show his disability.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Was Dedicated After a Hurricane Delay in 2011
— Photo by demerzel21
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was dedicated on October 16, 2011, with President Barack Obama speaking. The ceremony had been planned for August, but Hurricane Irene forced a postponement. The delay gave organizers a second chance to gather the crowds that had been expected.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial Was Dedicated on the Fifth Anniversary in 2000
— Photo by BrianScantlebury
The Oklahoma City National Memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, five years after the bombing that killed 168 people. President Bill Clinton spoke at the ceremony, which brought survivors and family members together. The field of empty chairs, one for each victim, became the memorial’s best-known feature.
The USS Arizona Memorial Was Dedicated in 1962
The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor was dedicated on May 30, 1962, Memorial Day. A benefit concert by Elvis Presley in 1961 helped raise money for the project. The memorial spans the sunken battleship without touching it, and that design choice shaped the dedication ceremony as much as the speeches.
Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial Drew Allied Commanders in 1926
The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City was dedicated on November 11, 1926, with President Calvin Coolidge in attendance. Military leaders from several Allied nations joined the ceremony, which made it an international event. The memorial honors those who served in the First World War, and the choice of Armistice Day for the dedication was deliberate.
The San Jacinto Monument Was Dedicated on San Jacinto Day in 1939
The San Jacinto Monument near Houston was dedicated in April 1939 to mark the battle that secured Texas independence. The tall tower is topped by a large star, and it stands on the battlefield itself. The date placed the ceremony close to the anniversary of the 1836 battle.
The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown Was Dedicated by a President in 1910
President William Howard Taft dedicated the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on August 5, 1910. Theodore Roosevelt had laid the cornerstone in 1907, so two presidents played a part in the monument’s story. The tower honors the Pilgrims’ first landing on Cape Cod before they settled at Plymouth.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Received Its First Burial on Armistice Day in 1921
An unidentified American soldier from the First World War was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 1921, with President Warren Harding in attendance. The soldier had been chosen from among four unidentified casualties in France, and a decorated sergeant selected the casket. Armistice Day gave the service a symbolic date.
The Lincoln Tomb in Springfield Was Dedicated in 1874
— Photo by EJ Rodriquez Photography
The Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, was dedicated in October 1874. The granite monument holds the remains of Abraham Lincoln and members of his family. Its dedication came less than ten years after his assassination, when public grief was still fresh.
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Indianapolis Was Dedicated in 1902
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Indianapolis was dedicated in 1902 and remains the centerpiece of Monument Circle. It honors Indiana’s veterans, and it rises from the middle of a traffic circle in the heart of the city. Its placement made the dedication a downtown event.
The Shaw Memorial in Boston Was Unveiled With Veterans in 1897
— Photo by demerzel21
The Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial was unveiled in Boston on May 31, 1897. Booker T. Washington spoke at the ceremony, and surviving veterans of the regiment took part. The bronze relief shows Black soldiers marching alongside their white colonel, an image unusual for its time.
The Soldiers’ National Monument at Gettysburg Was Dedicated in 1869
The Soldiers’ National Monument at Gettysburg was dedicated in 1869 inside the cemetery that Abraham Lincoln had helped consecrate in 1863. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered at that earlier ceremony, lasted only a couple of minutes, while the featured speaker, Edward Everett, spoke for about two hours. The monument stands at the center of the graves it commemorates.
The Emancipation Memorial in Washington Was Dedicated With Frederick Douglass in 1876
— Photo by ssviluppo
The Emancipation Memorial in Lincoln Park was dedicated on April 14, 1876, the eleventh anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s death. President Ulysses S. Grant attended, and Frederick Douglass delivered the oration. The memorial had been paid for by contributions from formerly enslaved people.
The Flight 93 National Memorial Was Dedicated on the Eve of the Tenth Anniversary
— Photo by rose.mosteller@gmail.com
The first phase of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania was dedicated on September 10, 2011. The ceremony took place the day before the tenth anniversary of the attacks. The site honors the 40 passengers and crew members who died when the plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
The National September 11 Memorial Opened on the Tenth Anniversary in 2011
— Photo by Leonid_Andronov
The National September 11 Memorial in New York was dedicated on September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the attacks. President Barack Obama attended, and family members read the names of the victims aloud. The memorial opened to the public the following day.
The Pentagon Memorial Was Dedicated on the Seventh Anniversary in 2008
The Pentagon Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2008, seven years after the attack on the building. It contains 184 benches, one for each person who died at the Pentagon and on the plane. Visitors walk among them, and the arrangement reflects the age and position of each victim.
What a Crowd Remembers
— Photo by EJ Rodriquez Photography
A dedication ceremony fixes a monument in memory before the first wreath is laid. The speeches fade, but the photographs of flags, crowds and open air remain. They record who came and what the moment meant to them.
The structures in these scenes have since weathered, changed and sometimes been argued over. The crowds that stood before them did not know that. For a few hours, the monument was new and the future looked settled.
More from Go2Tutors!
- 27 Silver Dollars and Half Dollars Worth Keeping
- 28 Restaurant Menu Items Nobody Orders Anymore
- 17 Places Built in Seemingly Impossible Spots
- 27 Vintage Rings Worth More Than They Look
- 25 Restricted Sites Tourists Can’t Enter
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
