Scholar working to dress up S.C.'s park in D.C.First OK given for Francis Marion memorial; next step, study By Yvonne Wenger (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
COLUMBIA — In one small spot of Washington, D.C., carved out for South Carolinians, not much has changed since 1887. But after three years' worth of effort by Columbia financial adviser and history scholar John F. McCabe, that's about to change. 
Robert G. Barinowski/File Robert G. Barinowski of Baron's Studio LLC in Camden sculpted this rough model of John McCabe's proposed statue of Francis Marion. President Bush has authorized the creation of a memorial to Gen. Francis Marion, better known as the Swamp Fox. "One hundred and twenty years ago, this plot of land was placed on South Carolina Avenue and named after one our favorite sons, and it's been 120 years since anyone has thought about it," McCabe said. "We're finishing what should have been done a long, long time ago." McCabe made a special stop in June 2005 to Marion Park, an acre and a half about four blocks from Capitol Hill, and was surprised to see there wasn't much of anything there. He has worked since then to turn the spot into a destination that honors Marion, a Revolutionary War hero known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. Marion is buried in a granite tomb at Belle Isle Plantation in rural Berkeley County. Last week, the president solidified the groundwork for McCabe's efforts when he signed the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, which includes 57 bills. Authorization needed to come through Congress, which must approve all memorial requests according to historical significance. In all, the act approves the largest collection of measures dealing with national parks, public lands, water and territorial issues since 1996, according to the House Natural Resources Committee. To helpContact the Palmetto Conservation Foundation to donate money, or to aid the effort to improve Washington, D.C.'s Marion Park and honor its namesake, Gen. Francis Marion, with a statue. Call: 803-771-0870. Mail: 1314 Lincoln St., Suite 305, Columbia, SC 29201, attn: "Marion Park Project." More info: palmettoconservation.org. "In addition to giving national recognition to Francis Marion, the Francis Marion memorial will provide South Carolinians with a unique 'home base' in our nation's capital," said U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C. Another Brown-sponsored bill, the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor addition, was included in the act. The addition will expand the corridor to add Saluda, Berkeley and all of Georgetown counties into either the South Carolina Heritage Corridor or the Gullah-Geechee National Heritage Corridor, ensuring a more complete preservation of South Carolina's legacy, Brown's office said. Ultimately, McCabe would like Marion Park to be reminiscent of colonial South Carolina. He originally envisioned brick-lined pathways and crushed oyster shells. The main attraction would be a larger-than-life bronze statue of Marion and a fountain with images from the Palmetto State. The final design, though, must be approved the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and likely will be tailored to blend with the surrounding neighborhood, McCabe said. The next step in the five-part process is to get the OK from the National Capital Planning Commission to actually build the Marion Park memorial Congress approved. That step, which involves environmental and traffic studies, will cost $50,000, McCabe said. McCabe is trying to raise private funds with the help and oversight of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. In all, the improvements to the park are estimated to cost roughly $500,000 to $750,000. Ken Driggers, executive director of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, said the president's signature was an important first step. Among its other preservation efforts, the foundation has saved 10 Revolutionary War sites, including Snow's Island, Marion's famed hideout in Florence County. Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 12 comment(s)
Posted by zerofive on May 13, 2008 at 8 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Surely the Marion of this statue is not reaching for his sword. One of the beloved stories of Marion (probably apocryphal) is that Marion so seldom drew his sword and that when he finally did it was rusted in the scabbard.
Posted by ColdBeer on May 13, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if the memorial area of DC is looking any better than it did the last time I was there. I was embarrassed at its condition. The grass was over grown, the trash cans on the Mall were over flowing and you couldn't look at anything with out bums (all claiming to be Vietnam Vets) begging for money. If I were the President, this area of DC would ALWAYS look pristine. Little did I know that, at the time of my visit, Bill was getting BJs and playing with cigars instead of running our country. I haven’t visited since. I sure hope it’s been cleaned up.
Posted by hadenough on May 13, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nope Cold Beer it is still as bad under the present administration as well, they even had bumbs attacking folks in the park near the White House, apathy is not limited to one party.
Posted by ColdBeer on May 13, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a shame. DC should be perfect. It should reflect National pride.
Posted by Early on May 13, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The grave at Belle Hall is nothing as well, it's in a rural area, which is good but, there is four or five graves enclosed in a chain link fence, that's it. I find it sickening that we continue to hand out free money to folks that can work but we don't rightfully preserve our history!
Posted by Zod on May 13, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Virginia is for lovers just as DC is for beggars.
Posted by ColdBeer on May 13, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I've spent a lot of time in Virginia. Some of those "lovers" are down right scary. I hope your shots are all up to date...
Posted by wpc3iop on May 13, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can we put a Confederate Flag up there too? Might help dress up the area...
Posted by Early on May 13, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm for that, I have never understood how the confederate flag stood for hate. It was a battle flag and is as much a part of our history as the Hunley or any other war artifact.
I have never looked at that flag with anything but a symbol of our past and nothing at all to do with hate but, that's another subject!
Posted by theronce on May 13, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
National pride? Most people that I meet today have no national pride. They're ashamed and embarassed to be an American...more often than not because they are ashamed of what they do or other Americans now do but because they believe that we must be beloved by the peoples of the world...and (sniff, sniff) they are right and we are wrong to think that we have anything now or in the past to be proud of...because (sniff, sniff) we did it all and continue to do it on the backs of the poor disadvantaged.
Posted by ColdBeer on May 13, 2008 at 5:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm chock full of national pride. Riding on the back of the poor? Nah.. I've been keeping their heads above water since I started working.
Posted by John_McCabe on May 13, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks to all for support!
We are very pleased with all the progress thus far. There will be more to come.
Concerning the drawing of the sword:
1. It is inspired by Bernini's David sculpture, the ultimate David and Goliath (like the Militia vs British) sculpture. Do a google image search on Bernini's David and see.
2. Notice the Swamp Fox is not touching the sword because of his reluctance to ire. The only time he was supposed to have drawn the sword, obviously before it rusted in the scabbard, was at the Battle of Fort Motte. The story is that some of his men started hanging local tories and he put a stop to it. Rightfully so.
3. The design has not been finalized, but this rendering is quite spectacular.