This monument commemorates Prussian-born Baron Frederick Wilhelm von Steuben, Major General of the Continental Army and the man most responsible for the training of American troops during the Revolutionary War. Sculpted by Albert Jaegers, the monument was dedicated at a ceremony that featured President William Howard Taft.
The 11-foot-tall bronze portrait statue portrays von Steuben as he inspected American troop maneuvers at Valley Forge in 1778. He is clothed in the uniform of a Major General of the Continental Army with a cocked hat and heavy cloak draped around his shoulders. On the northeast face of the pedestal, a seated warrior teaches a youth to handle a sword, symbolizing von Steuben's contribution to the American fight for independence. On the southwest face, a woman assisted by a child grafts his foreign stock onto the tree of American life as she recounts his heroic deeds. On the southeast face, a bronze relief portrait medallion honors von Steuben's aides-de-camo, Colonel William North and Major Benjamin Walker.
This monument was established by an act of Congress and dedicated on December 7, 1910. Now owned by the National Park Service, it is located at the northwest corner of Lafayette Square.
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: July 14, 1978
Within Lafayette Square Historic District
Part of American Revolution Statuary
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