DC Fountain Gets a Name Change: Newlands Memorial Plaque Must Be Removed and Offered to Family Within 60 Days

The Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act is a very focused piece of legislation that deals with one specific spot in Washington, D.C.: the memorial fountain at Chevy Chase Circle. If you’ve ever driven past or walked by it, this bill dictates a physical change to that monument. In short, the law directs the Secretary of the Interior to scrub Francis G. Newlands’ name right off the fountain. This isn't about new policy or funding; it’s about changing a historical marker that exists on federal property.

The Monument Makeover

This bill is incredibly specific about the hardware that needs to go. It mandates the removal of three things related to Newlands’ name, as detailed in Section 2. First, the brass plaque bearing his name must be taken down. Second, a stone projection on the south side that includes his name and any related inscription has to be removed. Finally, the name “Newlands” carved into the stone edge (the coping stones) on the top face of the fountain must either be removed entirely or permanently hidden. This leaves little room for interpretation; the goal is to erase the name from the physical structure.

What Happens to the Historical Artifacts

Whenever a historical marker is removed, the question of what happens to the physical pieces comes up. This bill lays out a clear, 60-day process for the removed items—the plaque, the stone projection, and any removed coping stones. The National Park Service (NPS) must first offer these items to the descendants of Francis Griffith Newlands. This is a tight window, especially if the descendants aren't actively tracking federal legislation. If they don't claim the items within those 60 days, they forfeit them. The items then become federal property and are added to the Rock Creek Park museum collection, ensuring their preservation, even if they are no longer on public display.

Real-World Impact: A Clean Administrative Sweep

For most people, this bill won't change your commute or your tax bill. Its impact is purely administrative and symbolic. If you live or work near Chevy Chase Circle, you’ll notice the physical change to the fountain. For the NPS, it means an immediate, mandatory task: execute the removal and manage the 60-day outreach to the Newlands family. The biggest practical challenge here might be for the descendants themselves, who have a strict two-month deadline to decide if they want to claim these historical family artifacts before they are permanently archived by the government. It’s a straightforward move to alter a specific historical monument, handled with a clear, step-by-step procedure.