Where do you live in D.C.? #15 (Part 2 of 2)

How did Washington Circle get its name?  

In 1860, more than 75 years after the Continental Congress commissioned a statue to honor General George Washington, a bronze equestrian statue was installed in the center of the circle and dedicated on George Washington's birthday in 1860.  

Lieutenant General George Washington by Clark Mills (1860)

The bronze statue by Clark Mills depicts Washington riding his horse during the 1777 Battle of Princeton and is based in part on an 1848 painting of Washington. 

Washington Rallying the Americans at the Battle of Princeton by Williiam T. Ranney (1848)

According to historian James Goode, "Washington is pictured advancing in front of the American lines toward the British, with shot and cannonballs, at the Battle of Princeton and Trenton. He calmly holds the reins as he surveys the battle with unflinching determination."  The horse's mane is based on a famous painting of Napoleon.  

Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David (1805)

That's how Washington Circle got its name.

P.S.  A fun fact.  During college, Greg worked nights and weekends at the One Washington Circle Hotel, just steps from General Washington and just a few blocks from where we are living.