DC is confusing, park-wise. First, several parks in the region lack any standard park designation, like monument, memorial, or historic site. Second, many parks overlap each other, especially on the National Mall. And third, unless you follow a guided tour, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what you’re looking at.

This park exemplifies all three problems. First, ‘gardens’ is not a standard park type. Second, Constitution Gardens originally referred to a large area, including the National Mall, but now both parks are part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, which is a grouping but not a park unit. In 1982 the area with a pond next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was established as this park unit in tribute to the Constitution, and it’s signature feature (above) is the semicircle of stones on Signers Island. Which is nice, but, third, these are not signers of the Constitution but rather of the Declaration of Independence.

I know that, because I’m from Concord, Massachusetts and my father was a history major. So I looked at the Massachusetts’ signers above, where I saw five names I recognized: Elbridge Gerry, Robert Paine, John Hancock, and John & Sam Adams. They’re all interesting characters. Gerrymandering is named after Elbridge Gerry, later Madison’s VP. Robert Paine (unrelated to the guy who wrote Common Sense) prosecuted the Boston Massacre opposite John Adams, later our 2nd president. Sam Adams, the beer guy, was a real patriot. And John Hancock famously wrote his signature large enough for King George to ‘read without spectacles’. But the problem is that none of them signed the Constitution. John Hancock, John and Sam Adams did not attend the constitutional convention. Robert Paine wasn’t a delegate, and Elbridge Gerry was there as a delegate but didn’t sign. Only 39 of the 55 delegates actually signed, with only Nathaniel Gorham and Rufus King signing for Massachusetts. The important thing was simply that they had enough votes to pass it and send it to the states to ratify.

But, the garden-variety park misnomer not withstanding, the signers of the Declaration of Independence did risk their lives, fortunes and sacred honor by signing that document. Their signatures on paper, here captured in stone, meant Treason against the King, punishable by death. 56 brave patriots, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, Thomas Stone and the others remembered in this garden signed, and we owe them all our thanks.

Here’s the link to my visits to all parks in the District of Columbia.