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Pike's statue is here because he spent 32 years as the head of the Scottish Rite SJ (a third of its entire lifespan at that time) and their headquarters was diagonally across the street between 1870-1915. He lived in it for two decades and died there, as did his two successors. The statue used to be across the street to the east on a tiny triangular sliver of worthless property until the building of I-395 and the Municipal Center in 1975 when it had to be moved becauswe the streets were rearranged. The statue memorializes his vast work for the Rite, which included writing all of the rituals for their 4th-33rd degrees, as well as his philosophical book, Morals & Dogma. He is depicted in civilian dress, not military, because his brief position for the Confederacy (about 6 months) when he was named a brigadier general to be the administrator for all of the Indian tribes in the South, was by no means the important position in his lifetime. The Scottish Rite paid for the statue ($15,000 in 1911) to be erected for their 100th anniversary. Given the enormous growth in membership of Scottish Rite Freemasons in America after the Civil War ended and right up until the 1990s, Pike's importance has been, and remains significant to a very large number...

Title: A Thought-Provoking Visit

Review:

I recently visited the former site of the Albert Pike Memorial near the U.S. Department of Labor. The statue is no longer there, but the base remains, featuring a metallic sculpture of the Goddess of Masonry. The Latin inscription "VIXIT" (He lived) and "Laborum ejus superstites sunt fructus" (The fruits of his labors survive him) offer a powerful tribute to Albert Pike.

The site prompts reflection on how we remember historical figures and their legacies. It's a place that makes you think about the lasting impact of one's work. I found it a thought-provoking and...

Just a pedestal with Pike’s name on it. The pedestal also has a statue of a Greek goddess, as well as some defining moments of Pike’s life. Pike was memorialized as he had been largely responsible for creating many of the rituals of the Masonic order, and had been the Sovereign Grand Commander for decades. In 2020, Pike’s statue was torn down as he had been a Confederate general for a few months, and was rumored (now refuted) to have been a...