World War I Mural



In 1920, the Marion Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution commissioned New York artist William Steene to paint a mural honoring those Washington County men who died while serving the United States during World War I. Through numerous fund drives, the citizens of Washington County donated the majority of the $1400 needed to paint, hang, and frame the mural.

Steene painted the mural on canvas 8 feet tall by 36 feet wide. Unveiled with great fanfare on July 5, 1920 in the loft of the Ozark Theater next door, the mural was soon afterward installed at its present location on the second floor of the Historic Washington County Courthouse.

The central figure in the mural is the Angel of Victory, who represented the Womanhood of America and Washington County. She holds two tablets inscribed with the names of those Washington County men who gave their lives during World War I, then considered the "War for Human Rights." 

Since installation of the mural, the Marion Chapter has continued to show its devotion to the mural by paying for its cleaning and restoration. In 1976 they commissioned Fayetteville resident Gertrude Gump to clean the mural; this cleaning financed through a fund drive led by Fayetteville school children. In the summer of 2010, in preparation for the re-opening of the restored courthouse, they commissioned Rick Parker, the owner of Parker Conservation Inc, of Gentry, to restore the mural; this restoration funded by the DAR and Washington County.

The World War I mural was re-dedicated September 14, 2010 on the second floor lobby of the Historic Washington County Courthouse.