The Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence is located in Constitution Gardens on the National Mall. In April 1978, Congress passed an act “To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to memorialize the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence in Constitution Gardens in the District of Columbia.” The memorial was dedicated on July 2, 1984, 208 years after the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence.
Constitution Gardens are located on the north side of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, near the World War II Memorial. A gift of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, the semi-circular Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence is located on a small island in a lake, accessible by a wooden bridge.
The Declaration
The stone set into the ground at the end of the bridge is engraved with the title and in the style of the engrossed and signed parchment. Just before the entrance to the memorial, the last sentence of the Declaration in Timothy Matlack’s hand is replicated in stone, calling visitors to remember the pledge the signers were making to each other.
The memorial was created by sculptor Joseph Brown, whose famous sculpture of young Benjamin Franklin at a printing press can be seen across from City Hall in Philadelphia. For each signer, there is an angled block of granite engraved with the person’s name, profession, and hometown. Each stone also has the man’s signature, enhanced with gold leaf. The stones are grouped by state, with Pennsylvania’s nine signers splitting the entrance to the memorial. The state labels are inlaid in the ground.
Other Things to See
The National Mall is home to a number of memorials and museums. The Memorial to the 56 Signers is quite simple by comparison, crowded with more geese than people. But the memorial’s quiet island provides a unique view of the Washington Monument, and respite from the busyness of the capital.
Plan Your Visit
- Location: National Mall, between Constitution Avenue and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington, D.C.
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Admission: Free
