Evening star., 1940-06-09
First Homes
There Were
Isolated
Gen. SCOTS Statue
Put Up Without
Any Ceremony
Br John Cloeen Proctor.

After seeing how nicely the under
pass at Thomas Circle has worked
out. 1t seems that another one at
Scott Circle, two blocks west, would
be in line with the same good judg-
ment shown at Fourteenth street
and Massachusetts avenue, where
traffic has been expedited and much
danger eliminated.
Speaking of Scott Circle, if any
body knows just the day and the
month the statue of Gen Winfield
Scott. was erected in this circle. he
does not appear to have come for
ward with this bit of information
The year, 1874, when it was put
there, is generally known, but moth
ing further than this.
There seems to have been no set
form of dedication over this statue,
whatever the exact date might have
been, and at least this accounts
for the scarcity of information on
the subject.
Back in 1901. S. H Kaufman,
then president of The Evening Star
Newspaper Co., and whose de-
scendants are still prominently
identified with this company. read
q paper before the Columbia His
torical Society on Equestrian
Statuarv in Washington and in
this story he gave the reasons why
erection of the statue received so
little. if any publicity He said:
1T does not appear that either
the statue of Gen. Scott. which
stands in Scott Circle, at the inter-
section of Massachusetts and Rhode
Island avenues and Sixteenth and
N streets NV or that of Gen.
Greene in Greene Square, at the
intersection of Massachusetts and
Maryland avenues and c and Fifth
streets NE. we're inaugurated or
unveiled with any formal cere-
monies Both were executed on a
commission from the United States
Government to the distinguished
sculptor, Henry K. Brown; and. so
far as my researches throw any light
on the subject. it would seem that
when completed they were turned
authority or representative of the
Government, much as public
building or any other work executed
under Government contract
would be-the first named in 1874,
the other in 1877"
Criticisms.
According to Mr.. Kaufman, the
statue was not without its faults,
though it did have its redeeming
qualities. His interesting criticism
follows:
"Of the statue of Scott it may
Justly be said that while some parts
of the group are exceedingly fine, 1t
Is not as whole generally considered
entirely happy as work of art.
The horse, although most beauti-
fully modelled figure, does not pos
sess the points usually looked for
in commanders charger. and this
might we'll be expected when it is
understood that he was modelled
from thoroughbred mare. Fur
thermore, it may be said that the
horse is not only of type too
light and delicate for the purpose
indicated, but also too slight in form
and size for the ponderous figure
that surmounts it,
The opinion is likewise held that
the artist made a mistake in rep
resenting Gen. Scott at so late a
period in life, when his form had
lost the magnificent proportions of
young manhood. instead of portray
ing him as he appeared, let us say,
about the close of the Mexican War,
when he was probably at his best
physically, and which period might
also be termed the elimination of his
military career Still, an air of
great dignity and repose distin-
guishes the group. which favorably
impreSses the intelligent and ap-
preciative beholder and raises it
very far above the dead level of
mediocrity."
At the time this statue was
erected, there were but few dwell
ings nearby, the Louise Home. on
the south side of Massachusetts,
avenue between Fifteenth and Six
teenth streets. having been built
only three years before. This To-
cality was so rural then, especially
to the north Of Massachusetts
avenue, from Fifteenth street west,