National Building Museum Frieze
German Roots in Washington

"United States Soldiers and Sailors of the Civil War" (1882. Cast 1883) This 1200-foot-long and 3-foot high frieze was made for the Pension Building, built to house the offices administering pensions for Union veterans of the Civil War. The frieze was created by New York-based artist Caspar Buberl, who was a German-speaking immigrant born in Bohemia. The building now houses the National Building Museum. According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum's "Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture":

"The buff-colored relief frieze which circles the building just above the first floor windows is composed of two to four feet long terra cotta panels. The running frieze depicts Civil War soldiers and sailors marching, riding horses, driving wagons, rowing boats, and pulling artillery. The portions of the frieze over the entrance arches on each side of the building reflect the themes of each entrance arch—the Gate of Invalids on the north, the Gate of the Quartermaster on the west, the Gate of the Infantry on the south, and the gate of the Navy on the east. Allegorical figures in the spandrels of the entrance arches symbolize Peace through figures of Justice on the north, Truth on the south and War through figures of Mars on the east and Minerva on the west. There are two smaller friezes ringing the building, one depicting alternating upright cannons and exploding cannon balls appears above the third floor windows and one depicting crossed swords, stars, and cannon balls runs around the building above the second floor windows."