The National Park Service has restored and reinstalled the statue of Confederate general Albert Pike in Washington’s Judiciary Square, following an August 2025 federal announcement. District leaders, who have opposed the monument for decades, criticized its return.
The Pike memorial, first dedicated in 1901, is Washington’s only outdoor statue honoring a Confederate general. The monument depicts Pike in civilian dress and omits his military role; its plaque—installed by the Freemasons—calls him an "author, poet, scholar, soldier, jurist, orator, philanthropist and philosopher." (nps.gov)
Pike, a prominent Freemason, was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson after the Civil War. Some histories have linked him to the early Ku Klux Klan, a claim long disputed by Masonic organizations; mainstream accounts note the allegation remains contested. (en.wikipedia.org)
Protesters pulled down and set the statue on fire on June 19, 2020, amid nationwide demonstrations after the murder of George Floyd. The National Park Service announced on Aug. 4, 2025, that it would restore and reinstall the bronze figure, saying the move aligns with federal historic‑preservation responsibilities and recent executive orders concerning the beautification of the capital and the reinstatement of removed monuments. An unsigned NPS statement to NPR described the 2020 events as "Black Lives Matter riots." (washingtonpost.com)
The statue was returned to its plinth over the weekend, according to Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office and local media coverage; the agency had targeted October for completion. (norton.house.gov)
District leaders have sought the statue’s removal since 1992. On Monday, Norton (D‑D.C.) condemned the decision, calling it “an affront to the mostly Black and Brown residents of the District of Columbia and offensive to members of the military who serve honorably,” and reiterating her view that Confederate memorials belong in museums, not places of public honor. She reintroduced legislation in August to remove the statue and allow its transfer to a museum. (washingtonpost.com)
The reinstallation underscores broader national debates over how, and whether, Confederate figures should be memorialized in public spaces, even as federal policy now directs agencies to restore previously removed monuments. (whitehouse.gov)
