Adams Memorial

The Adams Memorial is a historic grave monument in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C., which the author Henry Adams commissioned in 1891 in honor of his late wife, Clover. The monument is distinguished by an allegorical bronze sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, showing a draped, androgynous figure seated before a granite block. The hexagonal layout was designed by the architect Stanford White. Inspired by Buddhist devotional art and French cemetery art, the sculpture embodies deep grief and spiritual serenity. Henry Adams was buried beside his wife in 1918. A major work of American sculpture, the memorial has been a protected landmark since 1972 and draws visitors with an interest in the art and history of the Gilded Age.