Camp Barker Memorial (Washington, DC)

Corteen steel sign for Garrison Elementary School in Washington, DC, site of the Camp Barker memorial.

One of three entrance gates at the Camp Barker Memorial, made of charred wood and lined with reflective brass.

Bas-relief by Vinnie Bagwell, We The People, 1862, at the Camp Barker Memorial.

Main entrance gate of the Camp Barker Memorial constructed from charred wood and lined with reflective brass.

Bas-relief by Vinnie Bagwell, In God We Trust, at the Camp Barker Memorial.

One of three entrance gates at the Camp Barker Memorial constructed from charred wood and lined with reflective brass.

Bas-relief by Vinnie Bagwell, No Slavery, at the Camp Barker Memorial.

Dublin Core

Title

Camp Barker Memorial (Washington, DC)

Subject

Subject (Topic)
Enslaved persons--Emancipation
Fugitive slaves
Public art
Public sculpture
Refugee camps--History--19th century
United States Colored Troops
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Washington (D. C.)

Subject (Object Type)
Buildings and Structures
Commemorative sculpture

Description

Created by the architecture firm After Architecture (Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann), the memorial consists of three entry gatewaysthat serve as both functional entrances and commemorative spaces. Constructed from charred wood and lined with reflective brass, the portals feature bronze bas-relief panels by sculptor Vinnie Bagwell. These panels depict key figures and moments from African American history, including Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and the year 1862—the year of the District of Columbia Emancipation Act.

Creator

MacDonald, Katie, 1992-
After Architecture

Schumann, Kyle, 1992-
After Architecture

Bagwell, Vinnie, 1957-

Source

Photographs by Renée Ater

Date

May 2019

Contributor

Yun Associates, LLC (structural engineering); Garrison Elementary School (DC Public Schools)

Rights

DC Public Schools, 1200 First Street, NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States

Format

JPEG

Language

English

Type

Buildings and Structures
Visual Arts-Sculpture

Coverage

Garrison Elementary School, 1200 S Street NW, Washington, DC, 20009, United States

Extent

Entry portals: 126 in. (320.04 cm)
Portal widths: 78 in. (198.12 cm) to 192 in. (502.92 cm)

Medium

Bronze; Charred wood; Brass

Bibliographic Citation

"Camp Barker Memorial, Washington, DC, United States, 2019." Architectonic. Accessed May 3, 2021. https://www.architonic.com/en/project/after-architecture-camp-barker-memorial/20076736.

McDonald, Katie and Kyle Schumann. “Camp Barker Memorial: From Object to Urban Mediator.” Expanding the View: 109th Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Annual Meeting Proceedings, March 24-26, 2001. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.acsa-arch.org/chapter/camp-barker-memorial-from-object-to-urban-mediator/.

Taylor, Sharine. “The Camp Barker Memorial Is a Sobering Look at America’s Past (and Present).” Azure, August 19, 2019. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/the-camp-barker-memorial-is-a-sobering-look-at-americas-past-and-present/.

Rights Holder

Renée Ater

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Sculpture

Physical Dimensions