As a young Polish-Lithuanian military engineer, Kościuszko offered his service in the American Revolution. This memorial to Polish Brigadier General Kościuszko was presented by the Polish Alliance and the Polish American people of the United States. The work of the Polish sculptor Antoni Popiel (1865-1910), this bronze pedestrian statue depicts Kościuszko in the uniform of a general of the Continental Army with a cocked hat, holding a map of his fortifications at Saratoga in his right hand. The sculpture rests atop a square tiered base adorned with bronze sculptures on all four sides. On the north side, there is an eagle perched on top of a globe with an American flag, a sword, and a shield. On the south side, there is a globe showing Poland with an eagle fighting a snake on top. On the east side, a figure group depicts Kościuszko with a drum at his feet and a flag in his left hand. With his right hand, he unties a rope from around the waist of an American soldier, who symbolizes the American army. On the west side, Kościuszko is dressed in a Polish military uniform, lying on the ground and pointing into the distance with his right hand. Assisting him is a Polish soldier dressed in peasant military attire to symbolize the Polish Army. This statue was dedicated in 1910 by President William Howard Taft in Lafayette Park, which is now under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. A copy of the statue was erected in Warsaw, Poland in 2010.
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: July 14, 1978
Within Lafayette Square Historic District
Part of American Revolution Statuary
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