Who Was Albert Pike
The Albert Pike Memorial was erected in 1901 in Washington, D.C., to honor Albert Pike’s contributions to Freemasonry. It was the only statue in Washington commemorating a Confederate general. Pike, born on December 29, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, and passing away on April 2, 1891, in Washington, D.C., was a lawyer, writer, and poet. He played a significant role in Arkansas’s early legal and political systems and was pivotal in the development of Freemasonry, eventually becoming a national leader of the organization. During the Civil War, Pike commanded Confederate troops in the Indian Territory, leading Indigenous soldiers in one battle.
By Mathew Benjamin Brady/ Levin Corbin Handy – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cwpbh.05100, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1485441
The Development
The memorial was commissioned by Albert Pike’s Masonic brothers to recognize his influence on Freemasonry. Following his death, Pike was widely celebrated for his contributions to Masonry. In the 1890s, the Freemasons petitioned Congress for land to construct the monument. Despite opposition from Union veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masons assured Congress that the statue would depict Pike as a civilian, not a soldier. Congress approved the project in 1898. Italian sculptor Gaetano Trentanove designed the statue, which was dedicated on October 23, 1901. The statue depicted an 11-foot-tall figure of Pike atop a granite pedestal, with the allegorical Goddess of Masonry holding the Scottish Rite banner.
By Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA – Albert Pike, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45265339
The Message
The monument emphasized Albert Pike’s contributions to Freemasonry, rather than his controversial role as a Confederate general. This was a deliberate choice by the Masons to avoid glorifying his Civil War service, which had drawn criticism. Symbolism in the statue reinforced this message: the Goddess of Masonry represented the ideals and influence of the Masonic organization. There were no direct references to Pike’s Confederate allegiance in the design or inscriptions.
Statue of Albert PIke in Judiciary Square, Washington DC (© Julie O’Connor, 2009)
Thoughts When the Monument was Built
The statue was contentious even before it was constructed. Union veterans strongly opposed the monument due to Pike’s Confederate ties and allegations of dishonorable conduct during the Civil War, such as misappropriating funds and leading troops who mutilated Union soldiers.
However, Freemasons argued that Pike’s achievements in Freemasonry were separate from his military record. Congress ultimately approved the statue after assurances that it would depict Pike as a civilian.
(photo taken 1976)
Controversies Today
The Albert Pike Memorial has been a focal point of controversy for decades. In 1992, members of the LaRouche movement held rallies demanding its removal, citing Pike’s alleged ties to the Ku Klux Klan. After the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, protests against Confederate statues intensified, and demonstrators once again called for the Pike statue’s removal.
(By theantimedia.org, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48662639
In 2019, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill to remove the statue, arguing that Pike’s Confederate service, marked by dishonorable actions, made him unworthy of memorialization. Norton suggested relocating the statue to a museum for historical context, a position supported by the Freemasons and local officials.
Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, On the Introduction of a Bill to Remove the Statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, July 30, 2019
“Madam Speaker.
I rise to introduce a bill to require the removal of a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike from federal land near Judiciary Square in the District of Columbia. This statue was authorized, not by the District, but by Congress in 1898, when the District had no home rule. The statue was constructed using both federal and private funds. The Freemasons, of which Pike was a member, donated the majority of the money needed to build and install the statue in 1901. I oppose tearing down Confederate statues, because I believe they should be moved to more appropriate settings, like museums, to avoid erasing an important part of history from which Americans must continue to learn.
Pike was a Confederate general who served dishonorably and was forced to resign in disgrace. It was found that soldiers under his command mutilated the bodies of Union soldiers, and Pike was ultimately imprisoned after his fellow officers reported that he misappropriated funds. Adding to the dishonor of taking up arms against the United States, Pike dishonored even his Confederate military service. He certainly has no claim to be memorialized in the nation’s capital. Even those who do not want Confederate statues removed will have to justify awarding Pike any honor, considering his history.
After meeting with the Freemasons, I believe that the best course of action is to remove the statue and find a more appropriate place for it. The Freemasons themselves support the statue’s removal, given its divisive nature. The D.C. Mayor and the Council also support the removal of the statue.
My bill clarifies that no federal funds may be used to remove the Pike statue. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.”
Memorial was toppled and burned on June 19, 2020, as protests continued across the country in response to the murder of George Floyd. Protesters used rope and chains to topple the Pike statue, doused it with a flammable liquid, and ignited it. The following day, the National Park Service removed the statue. Covered with graffiti, the pedestal remains in place.
1) Credit: WUSA The statue of Brigadier General Albert Pike was D.C.’s only outdoor Confederate statue.
2) People film the only statue of a Confederate general, Albert Pike, in the nation&/#39;s capital after it was toppled by protesters and set on fire in Washington early Saturday. | AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo
Discussion of Removal
The monument was ultimately removed by protestors, but debates about its legacy continue. Critics argue that Pike’s Confederate ties and actions make public memorialization inappropriate. Supporters of preservation suggest relocating the statue to a museum to maintain historical context without glorifying controversial figures. I believe this is the best option since it preserves its historical context. The protests and debates surrounding the statue’s removal have added to its historical significance, turning it into a symbol of both the original era it memorialized and the modern societal reckoning with controversial figures.
References
“Albert Pike (1809–1891).” Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/albert-pike-1737/
“Albert Pike Statue” DC Historic Sites, DC Preservation League, https://historicsites.dcpreservation.org/items/show/476
“Norton Introduces Bill to Remove Statue of Confederate General Pike from Federal Land in D.C.” Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-to-remove-statue-of-confederate-general-pike-0
“D.C. Congresswoman Introduces Bill to Remove Pike Statue.” Freemasons for Dummies, 16 July 2019, https://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2019/07/dc-congresswoman-introduces.html
“Albert Pike Statue.” The Alexandria Gazette, 11 July 1899, p. 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1899-07-11/ed-1/seq-2/
“A Homeless Confederate: Albert Pike’s Complicated Legacy Leaves Statue in Limbo.” The Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/a-homeless-confederate-albert-pikes-complicated-legacy-leaves-statue-in-limbo/2017/10/16/40fe05d6-aa10-11e7-92d1-58c702d2d975_story.html
Fred William Allsopp. “Albert Pike: A Biography” 1928, Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jNY2VPCWPz4C&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=albert+pike+memorial&ots=Shs4G4k8Pv&sig=OB6mU-fbqqkqs50UpgimBdfVmUw#v=onepage&q=albert%20pike%20memorial&f=false
