George Mason is one of America’s most influential, least recognized Founding Fathers. A tranquil Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors this under-appreciated Virginian.
But he refused to sign the United States Constitution because it did not abolish the slave trade and because it did not do enough to protect individual citizens from the national government.
The Memorial is set within a historic garden. It features a larger-than-life bronze statue of George Mason seated on a stone bench below a 72-foot-long trellis.
He looks casual and pensive. A few books reflect the patriot’s thoughtful nature and philosophical contributions to the cause of American independence.
The Memorial is located in East Potomac Park, just south of the Tidal Basin. It was the first memorial in the area dedicated to someone who was not a former President of the United States.