Judiciary Square in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Sir William Blackstone
Paul Wayland Bartlett
(b. 1865, New Haven, Connecticut - d. 1925, Paris, France)
Sir William Blackstone
c. 1920
bronze
Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) was an English jurist, judge, and the first professor of law at Oxford University, but he is best known for the book he is depicted holding here: Commentaries on the Laws of England, a crucial treatise on English common law and a foundational text for the American legal system. At the time of its publication, common law was in its infancy and had not yet been universally adopted. All of the formative documents in the founding of the United Statesincluding the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and early Supreme Court Decisionswere built upon concepts first presented in Blackstone's Commentaries. Even today, the Supreme Court cites the Commentaries in its opinions.
The American Bar Association commissioned this sculpture as a gift to the English Bar Association. However, at nine feet tall, it was deemed too large to stand in the Great Hall of the Royal courts of Justice in London. As a result, a smaller copy of the sculpture was created for the English Bar Association, and the sculptor gifted the original to the United States in 1943. Sir William Blackstone
this page online
Erected by Fine Arts Collection, U.S. General Services Administration.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.
Location. 38° 53.545′ N, 77° 0.949′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Judiciary Square. It is on Constitution Avenue Northwest (Alternate U.S. 1) west of 3rd Street Northwest, on the left when traveling east. The statue stands on the grounds of the Prettyman Courthouse. The plaque is affixed to the west side of the statue's base. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 333 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Trylon of Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); Major General George G. Meade Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); John Marshall (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chief Justice John Marshall (about 600 feet away); Embassy of Canada, Washington, DC (about 600 feet away); Washington City Spring (about
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 24, 2025
2. Sir William Blackstone Marker on the base of the statue
Harris & Ewing, Photographer (courtesy of Library of Congress), 1916
4. Paul Wayland Bartlett, Sculptor
Photo shows Paul Bartlett at work on the pediment for the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
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Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 50 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 24, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on October 24, 2025.
