You can find the John Ericsson Memorial just south of D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial, in the roundabout at the intersection of 23rd Street and Independence Avenue.
An imposing statue, around 20 feet tall, the whole base of the monument is one giant compass — an ode to Ericsson’s maritime navigation roots — with true north pointing uptown. Every day, thousands of people walk or drive right it and may never notice it, despite its stature.
A Swedish immigrant and inventor, Ericsson is best known for coming up with the “screw” propeller, which revolutionized sea travel. He also is credited with inventing and helping build the first ironclad warship, the USS Monitor, used by the Union army during the American Civil War.
But, despite Ericsson’s notable accomplishments, none of that is what makes his little-known memorial the stuff of legends, as WTOP’s Matt Kaufax found out in today’s episode of “Matt About Town.”
In a conspiracy theory that would make even Dan Brown, or the writers of “National Treasure” blush, legend has it there is a secret “doomsday button” hidden somewhere within the Ericsson Memorial.
You know, the big red button to end the world.
In an apocalyptic scenario, throwing the right switch at this monument would theoretically send us all to a fiery death. But there are those who dispute this conspiracy, and it’s nearly impossible to trace the origins of this memorial’s mythos.
Come along with Matt, and a familiar National Park Ranger who always seems to bring an urban legend or two with him, on a video journey exploring this mythological memorial!
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