It’s an obscure D.C. memorial that tells a real-life “Titanic” movie love story.
In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax explores a statue on the National Mall, which shows how art imitates real life.
You might remember Matt’s first installment in his mini Titanic monuments exploration series from last week, where he uncovered the secrets behind D.C.’s little-known Titanic memorial. But did you know there are two more memorials in the District related to the infamous sinking ship?
Built in the early 1900s, the Butt-Millet Memorial Fountain was erected to two men who went down with the vessel in 1912: Archibald Butt and Francis Davis Millet.
But who were Butt and Millet? And why — out of the all people who perished aboard the Titanic — did these two get their own memorial on the National Mall?
The answer lies with two U.S. presidents and an alleged secret romance.
Come along with Matt to uncover these historical secrets, and to see how a third monument on the National Mall is related to these first two Titanic memorials.
“Matt About Town” airs every Tuesday and Thursday on WTOP at 7:45 a.m., and runs throughout the rest of the day on 103.5 FM. His video pieces are always posted on wtop.com.
You can also find Matt’s videos on Instagram (@wtopnews and @mkaufax) and TikTok (@wtopnews and @mattabouttown_).
If you’ve got an idea for a feature story Matt should cover, reach out via the WTOP “contact us” page to submit your idea.
You can also contact Matt directly. His contact information is listed below.
