James Monroe - Fredericksburg VA
N 38° 18.141 W 077° 27.696
18S E 284752 N 4242229
A bust of the 5th president of the United States is displayed on the town lot where he practiced law in Virginia.
Waymark Code: WMDDN6
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 12/30/2011
Views: 6
Before James Monroe was the fifth president of the U.S., he practiced law in Fredericksburg, VA. His office was located in a brick building on Charles St. In 1927, Monroe's great-granddaughter bought the property to save it from demolition and opened the
James Monroe Museum
where she displayed her collection of family artifacts, books, and documents. Over the years, other descendants of Monroe donated more memorabilia.
A bronze bust of James Monroe stands on a white granite pedestal in the Memorial Garden attached to the museum. According to an archived copy of the Free Lance-Star
, the bust was unveiled at a ceremony in the garden in May 1947. A small plaque on the front of the pedestal reads:
JAMES MONROE
BY
MARGARET FRENCH CRESSON
PRESENTED TO THE
JAMES MONROE LAW OFFICE
IN MEMORY OF
WILLIAM PENN CRESSON
BY THE SCULPTOR AND
MRS. JOHN H. GIBBONS
MAY 8, 1947