Fallen Idol
For nearly two years, the statue of Alexander “Boss” Shepherd has languished in storage on the grounds of the Blue Plains sewage plant in Southeast D.C. Shepherd, who was profiled in last month’s cover story, ruled Washington with an iron hand for a short period in the early 1870s. His statue graced the front of the District Building on Pennsylvania Avenue for many years, but was removed during the construction of Western Plaza. It’s been at Blue Plains — in a horizontal position — ever since.
Now a variety of civic groups are vying to put Shepherd’s statue back in public view. Several community organizations have been angling for the statue, but according to Joe Bender, project coordinator for D.C.’s Office of Planning and Development, a joint effort between Dupont Circle’s citizens association and advisory neighborhood council (ANC) appears to have the inside track.
The Dupont Circle group is putting together a proposal that calls for placement of the statue on one of several small parcels of empty land in the area, which abound in the District due to the L’Enfant street plan layout. The land, which is under the jurisdiction of the D.C. Department of Transportation, would be maintained by the citizens’ association under the Department’s new public space project.
But if, for whatever reason, the Dupont Circle plan doesn’t come through, there are plenty of other proposals waiting in the wings. Up in Northwest, the Shepherd’s Park Citizens Association has put in a bid for the statue of their neighborhood’s namesake. Other less likely possibilities include various spaces along Pennsylvania Avenue from 18th Street to the George Washington University area, the new John Marshall Park to be located on 4th Street, N.W., between Pennsylvania Avenue and C Street, and in front of the planned D.C. Municipal Center building.
Boss Shepherd may be gone — and even temporarily forgotten — but he’ll definitely be back.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 1982 issue of Regardie’s magazine.
Bill Hogan