Marion Park

In 1887, The US Army Corps of Engineers chose to honor Brigadier General Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox,” when they named Reservation 18 in Washington DC “Marion Park.” This small park sits on South Carolina Avenue, between 4th through 6th Streets, SE, and is one of four Capitol Hill East National Parks. However, there is no monument to Marion or explanation of his very significant contributions to our winning independence from Great Britain.

Enter John McCabe, Columbia resident and stockbroker, who began a campaign in late 2005 to erect a statue of Francis Marion in Marion Park. The first order of business, after creating the Marion Park Project, was to get legislation passed by Congress to authorize a monument. On May 8, 2008, President Bush signed the legislation into law. The National Park Service will begin work on several required studies; meanwhile fundraising for the statue is essential as no federal money may be spent on it.

With your help, Brig. Gen. Francis Marion’s contribution to the success of the American Revolution will forever be memorialized in our nation’s capital. Contributions to the Marion Park Project may be sent to:

Palmetto Conservation Foundation
722 King Street

Columbia, SC 29205

For more information, please go to www.swampfoxmemorial.org