Norton to Meet with Freemasons on Removal of Pike Statue from Judiciary Square, Thursday

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will meet with representatives of the Scottish Rite Freemasonry Supreme Council to discuss steps to remove a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, located on federal land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS) near Judiciary Square, tomorrow, Thursday, September 28, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., in 2136 Rayburn House Office Building. Earlier this month, Norton met with National Park Service (NPS) Acting Director Michael Reynolds to discuss the removal of the statue.

"I appreciate the principles of the Freemasons on this issue and their willingness to support removal of the Pike statue," Norton said. "Because removal cannot be done without congressional action, I look forward to discussing realistic approaches for removal with them."

The Pike statue was a gift of the Freemasons (Pike was a member) and was installed in 1901 through an act of Congress. Pike was a confederate general forced to resign in disgrace. Soldiers under his command were found to have mutilated the bodies of Union soldiers, and he was ultimately imprisoned after his fellow officers reported that he had been misappropriating funds. After Pike's imprisonment, he was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. Although born in Massachusetts, Pike settled in Arkansas before joining the Confederate army. He lived in D.C. after being pardoned until his death in 1891.