Overview

• National Park Service crews have started site preparation to repair the statue’s damaged masonry plinth and are removing corrosion and graffiti from the bronze figure.
• Restoration follows federal obligations under historic preservation law and two executive orders from President Donald Trump directing the reinstatement of pre-existing monuments.
• The Albert Pike statue, erected in 1901 at the Freemasons’ request, was toppled and burned by protesters outside the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters in June 2020.
• Repair work will address broken stone, mortar joints, and mounting elements with the goal of reinstalling the monument by October 2025.
• District officials, including Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, have pressed for the statue’s removal since 1992 but cannot override federal jurisdiction on NPS land.