The National Park Service will restore and reinstall the statue of Albert Pike in Washington, D.C., more than five years after it was toppled and vandalized during protests in June 2020.
According to the National Park Service, the bronze statue, which honors Pike’s leadership in Freemasonry, is undergoing professional restoration and will return to its original site by October 2025. The statue had been in secure storage since its removal and is being repaired by specialists at the agency’s Historic Preservation Training Center.
“This action supports both the Executive Order on Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful and the Executive Order on Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” said Mike Litterst, as quoted by the National Park Service.
Originally authorized by Congress in 1898 and dedicated in 1901, the statue commemorates Pike’s 32-year service as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Rite of Scottish Freemasonry. Although Pike also served in the Confederate army, the memorial was never intended to honor his military service, according to historical context noted by NPS.
“Crews will soon begin site preparations, including repairs to the statue’s damaged granite plinth,” the National Park Service stated. “Restoration efforts will focus on mending broken stone, sealing mortar joints, and securing mounting hardware to ensure structural integrity upon reinstallation.”
This initiative aligns with recent federal directives aimed at preserving historical monuments and presenting what officials describe as a “full and accurate picture of the American past.”
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