Black Aggie
Encyclopedia
Black Aggie is a local legend in Baltimore and Pikesville, Maryland
. Black Aggie is the folkloric name given a statue placed on the grave of General Felix Agnus in Druid Ridge Cemetery
in 1926. The statue is an unauthorized replica, rendered by Edward L. A. Pausch, of Augustus St. Gaudens' allegorical figure, popularly called Grief, at the Adams Memorial
in Rock Creek Cemetery
in Washington, D.C.
The statue is of a seated figure in a cowl or shroud.
The statue was surrounded by many urban legends, principally that someone spending the night in its lap would be haunted by the ghost of those buried there; that the spirits of individuals buried at Druid Ridge would annually convene at the statue; that no grass would grow on the ground where the statue's shadow
would lay during the daytime; or that the statue would somehow animate itself during the night, whether by physically moving or by showing glowing red eyes.
These urban legends led to much unwelcome attention towards the statue; many people were caught breaking into the cemetery at night to visit the statue, and the pedestal was frequently vandalized. The Agnus family, disturbed by the sort of attention the statue received, donated it to the Smithsonian in 1967. It sat for many years in storage at the National Museum of American Art (later named the Smithsonian American Art Museum
) where an authorized recasting of the original Adams Memorial statue now sits.
Black Aggie was moved from her previous home at the museum to a courtyard behind the Dolley Madison
House on Lafayette Square
in Washington, DC where she currently resides.
, one of the Three Fates from Greek mythology, was purported to be the original statue named Black Aggie, however it never sat on the Agnus family plot so there is no reason for the diminutive "Aggie" to have been applied to it.
Pikesville, Maryland
Pikesville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore.The population was 29,123 at the 2000 census...
. Black Aggie is the folkloric name given a statue placed on the grave of General Felix Agnus in Druid Ridge Cemetery
Druid Ridge Cemetery
Druid Ridge Cemetery is located just outside the city of Baltimore in Pikesville, Maryland at 7900 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore Co., MD 21208. Among its monuments and graves are several noted sculptures by Hans Schuler and the final resting places of:...
in 1926. The statue is an unauthorized replica, rendered by Edward L. A. Pausch, of Augustus St. Gaudens' allegorical figure, popularly called Grief, at the Adams Memorial
Adams Memorial (grave marker)
The Adams Memorial is a grave marker located in Section E of Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C., that features a cast bronze allegorical sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens...
in Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery — also Rock Creek Church Yard and Cemetery — is an cemetery with a natural rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE in Washington, D.C.'s Michigan Park neighborhood, near Washington's Petworth neighborhood...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The statue is of a seated figure in a cowl or shroud.
The statue was surrounded by many urban legends, principally that someone spending the night in its lap would be haunted by the ghost of those buried there; that the spirits of individuals buried at Druid Ridge would annually convene at the statue; that no grass would grow on the ground where the statue's shadow
Shadow
A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object. It occupies all of the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the...
would lay during the daytime; or that the statue would somehow animate itself during the night, whether by physically moving or by showing glowing red eyes.
These urban legends led to much unwelcome attention towards the statue; many people were caught breaking into the cemetery at night to visit the statue, and the pedestal was frequently vandalized. The Agnus family, disturbed by the sort of attention the statue received, donated it to the Smithsonian in 1967. It sat for many years in storage at the National Museum of American Art (later named the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
) where an authorized recasting of the original Adams Memorial statue now sits.
Black Aggie was moved from her previous home at the museum to a courtyard behind the Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison
Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817...
House on Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square may refer to a place in the United States:*Lafayette Square, Los Angeles, California, a neighborhood in the mid-city section of L.A.*Lafayette Square, New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Central Business District*Lafayette Square, St...
in Washington, DC where she currently resides.
Controversy
There is a dispute over whether or not the "Grief" statue is the Black Aggie. Another statue in Druid Ridge Cemetery depicting ClothoClotho
Clotho is one of the Three Fates or Moirae, in ancient Greek mythology. Her Roman equivalent is Nona. Clotho was responsible for spinning the thread of human life. She also made major decisions, such as when a person was born, thus in effect controlling people's lives...
, one of the Three Fates from Greek mythology, was purported to be the original statue named Black Aggie, however it never sat on the Agnus family plot so there is no reason for the diminutive "Aggie" to have been applied to it.