Madonna of the Trail - Bethesda MD - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

A mother, standing, cradling a young child in her arms, with another child gripping her skirt with his proper right hand and holding the barrel of a rifle with his proper left hand. The mother is gripping the tip of the gun barrel with her proper right hand, as she steps forward with her proper left foot.


This statue is one of twelve erected by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, across the country to commemorate the pioneer women of the wagon trails and to commemorate the first U.S. Highway. The sculpture was originally located at corner of Montgomery Lane and Wisconsin Avenue, but was relocated to its current site in 1986 to allow for widening of Montgomery Lane. The sculpture was restored extensively in 1992 and a new base created. Sources in IAS files give conflicting media details, identifying work as being cast concrete or aldanite stone. Incised text on front of original base read: N.S.D.A.R. MEMORIAL/TO THE/PIONEER MOTHERS/OF THE/COVERED WAGON DAYS. Text on lower left of original base read: OVER THIS HIGHWAY/MARCHED THE ARMY/OF/MAJOR GENERAL/EDWARD BRADDOCK/APRIL 14, 1755/ON ITS WAY TO FORT DUQUESNE. Text on right side of original base read: THIS THE FIRST MILITARY ROAD/IN AMERICA/BEGINNING AT ROCK CREEK AND/POTOMAC RIVER/GEORGETOWN MARYLAND/LEADING OUR PIONEERS/ACROSS THIS CONTINENT/TO THE PACIFIC. Text on rear of original base reads: THE NATIONAL/OLD TRAILS ROAD.

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TITLE: Madonna of the Trail ARTIST(S): August Leimbach DATE: April 19, 1929 MEDIUM: Aldanite stone or concrete CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 75002765 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Wisconsin Ave , Bethesda MD DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: Statue is in good condition

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Date Logged Log   05/28/2012 Searcher28 visited it