Albert Pike Memorial

Albert Pike statue

National Park Service photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Washington, DC

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Public Transit

The statue of Albert Pike, located near Judiciary Square, honors the long-standing leader within the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Southern Jurisdiction). Pike was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite’s Southern Jurisdiction in 1859 — a position he held until his death in 1891.

Over decades, he devoted himself to shaping and codifying the Rite’s ritual and philosophical framework, culminating in his influential writings such as Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Though Pike served as a general in the Confederate army during the Civil War, the statue was commissioned by Scottish Rite Masons who wanted to honor his Masonic legacy — their own historical and intellectual heritage — rather than his wartime exploits.

The bronze figure, erected in 1901, depicts Pike in civilian clothing, and the plaque at its base celebrates him as “author, poet, scholar, philosopher, jurist, orator, philanthropist” — highlighting his scholarly and philosophical contributions – a legacy of ritual, writing, and Masonic philosophy that shaped Freemasonry in America – over his military role.

Sculptor: Gaetano Trentanove