The 1916 cast in bronze statue by Jerome Connor of Irish patriot Robert Emmet (1778–1803) stands at Massachusetts Avenue, 24th and S Streets, NW in Washington, D.C. It is the property of the Smithsonian Institution. The National Park Service is relandscaping the space to improve the condition of the park, help protect the historically significant Robert Emmet sculpture, and promote the spirit and character of the park's 1966 landscape design. Emmet was executed (hanged, then beheaded once dead) for leading a rebellion in Dublin, Ireland against British rule in 1803. At his sentencing he said: "When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then and not till then, let my epitaph be written." Image: Wikipedia Commons

NPS Seeks Public Comment on Rehab of Robert Emmet Sculpture Landscape

The National Park Service is seeking public comment on rehabilitating the planting design at the triangle bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, 24th and S Streets, NW in Washington, D.C. This area, known as U.S. Reservation 302, contains a sculpture of Irish patriot Robert Emmet.

This landscape project includes removal of the Deodar cedar tree, which is obscuring the statue. The tree's sap may also be damaging the statue. The cedar will be replaced with three 8 to 10-foot tall columnar Irish yew trees, forming a backdrop to the sculpture. The trees will be maintained at a height and diameter to prevent damage to the statue. The NPS also proposes to remove the Sargent's juniper shrub and replace it with laurel shrubs to match the surrounding plants; replace invasive English ivy with native groundcover; reestablish turf areas and conduct routine maintenance. These tasks are already funded and will occur fall 2015 and spring 2016.

NPS is working with the D. C. State Historic Preservation Office to determine if this parcel of land is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Federal historic preservation law requires that federal agencies seek and consider the public's views about proposed projects that could affect a property that is listed, or has the potential to be listed, on the National Register. The National Park Service is holding a 45-day public comment period on this project. More information about the project is available online.

Note: As you would expect, there is a statue of Robert Emmet in Dublin (St. Stephens Green), but also one in front of the Calif. Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.