By Friends of Titanic Memorial
April serves as a poignant reminder of the Titanic disaster—and Southwest’s lasting connection to the tragedy. On April 15, 1912, more than 1,500 people perished when the RMS Titanic, famously billed as “unsinkable,” sank during its maiden voyage. In the wake of the disaster, a group of women took it upon themselves to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the men who, in their view, “showed they were not afraid to die.”
The Women’s Titanic Memorial Association launched a grassroots fundraising effort, collecting donations one dollar at a time. First Lady Helen Taft made the inaugural contribution, and over the next two decades, more than 25,000 women across the United States supported the initiative. The association also held a design competition open exclusively to female artists, ultimately selecting Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s Academic Abstraction in 1914.
Sculptor John Harrigan carved the statue from a single piece of pink granite, depicting a figure with outstretched arms. The statue’s exedra, or platform, designed by architect Henry Bacon, features dolphins leaping over stylized waves. Dedicated on May 26, 1931, the memorial originally stood along the Potomac River at the intersection of Rock Creek Parkway and New Hampshire Avenue NW. In 1968, the structure was relocated to its current site along the Washington Channel due to construction of the Kennedy Center.
Recognized for its historical significance, the Titanic Memorial Statue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Soon after, the Friends of Titanic Memorial Park (FoTMP) was founded as an all-volunteer nonprofit working with the National Park Service to restore and maintain the park.
For more information about FoTMP and its preservation efforts, visit FoTMPdc.org or email info@FoTMPdc.org.
