Henry Brooks Adams - Washington, DC
Posted by: neoc1
N 38° 56.844 W 077° 00.618
18S E 325788 N 4312861
The Adams Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens marks the grave of historian and author Henry Brooks Adams and his wife the socialite Marian Hooper Adams. It is located in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.
Waymark Code: WM15HK1
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 01/08/2022
Views: 6
Sources:
Ancestry: Link
Find a Grave: Link
Smithsonian Art Inventory: Link
Wikipedia (Person): Link
Wikipedia (Memorial): Link
The grave of Henry Adams and Marian Hooper Adams is marked by a sculpture created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The sculpture was commissioned by Henry Brooks Adams upon the death of his wife Marian Hooper Adams who committed suicide at the age of 42 because of health issues that led to depression. The Adams Memorial is set within a closed space surrounded by conifers. It is the most visited grave in Washington DC. At the request of Henry Brooks Adams, there are no inscriptions at the gravesite.
The 5' 10" bronze sculpture depicts a draped figure of undetermined gender seated on a granite bench with their right arm bent upwards touching the lower right side of their face. The figure has an expression of sadness with eyes closed. Saint-Gaudens named this sculpture Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding, but it is commonly called Grief.
NOTE:
The lack of an inscription may cause confusion but the evidence is clear. The memorial was originally erected to mark the grave of Henry Brooks Adams' wife Marian Hooper Adams, known as Clover. Upon his death Henry Brooks Adams was buried here alongside his wife. Thus this is also his gravesite. The references to Ancestry, Find A Grave, and the two Wikipedia links confirm this fact. "Henry Adams died at age 80 in Washington, DC. on March 27, 1918. He is interred beside his wife in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, DC." - Wikipedia Link - Henry Brooks Adams AND "The Adams Memorial is a grave marker for Marian Hooper Adams and Henry Adams located in Section E of Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C." - Wikipedia Link - Adams Memorial