Washington City opens George Washington Plaza; statue funded jointly by city, county and partners

Washington City officials and community members officially dedicated George Washington Plaza on April 21 with a ribbon-cutting, the unveiling of a statue by sculptor Jerry Anderson and remarks tying the project to the city’s Cotton Days celebration and the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Jordan Hess, legislative affairs director for Washington City, introduced the plaza and its role in this year’s Cotton Days kickoff and said the city was “excited to welcome you all to the brand new George Washington Plaza.” He described the plaza as a collaboration among local governments, businesses and civic groups.

The plaza project includes a bronze statue of George Washington created by Jerry Anderson. Anderson, who told the crowd the Washington work was “one of my better ones,” said the statue will present a more approachable Washington than some eastern monuments and asked community members to enjoy the new artwork.

Mayor Chris Staley of Washington City described the site as a 0.6-acre remnant parcel reimagined as a pocket park after a nearby road realignment, and credited a multi-jurisdictional partnership with getting the project done quickly. Staley said the city council allocated “wrap” funding for plaza beautification, and that Washington City, the city of St. George and Washington County commissioners each contributed to purchase the statue and finish the plaza, with additional funding coming from TRT funds.

Youth Council members gave short presentations about the plaza’s symbolism. Katie Allen, mayor of the Washington City Youth Council, described the cherry-tree motif and noted the story’s status as a long-standing myth associated with George Washington. Other youth council speakers explained design elements including historic flags, garden features and gates inspired by Mount Vernon.

Project partners and vendors named during the ceremony included JS Costanza and LandTrends as builder/designer and sculptor Jerry Anderson. Staley said the commissioners “went in thirds on the statue itself” and that remaining site work was supported with TRT funding. The mayor described the current plaza as the first phase and said additional phases remain unfunded and are planned as “blank canvas” areas that will tell more of the city’s agricultural and Dixie heritage.

As part of ongoing fundraising, organizers launched a commemorative-brick program called the Pathway of Patriots. The city placed a public price of $177.60 per brick (with an optional $1,776 level) and asked interested donors to contact Jordan Hess at jhess@washingtoncity.org. Staley said proceeds will help pay for future phases and plaza features.

Ceremony highlights included the formal ribbon-cutting with Lamar Miller named as Cotton Days 2025 Grand Marshal, musical performances by members of the Brown family, and a gun salute by the Sons of the American Revolution. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown delivered a keynote-style remarks about George Washington’s example of stepping down from power and called America an “experiment in self government.”

City officials asked the public to visit the plaza and read the installed plaques. A plaque on site, placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution, commemorates Revolutionary War patriots and notes the plaza dedication fell 250 years after the start of the American Revolution. Officials said the plaza will be lit at night with visible searchlight beams during the dedication evening and encouraged attendees to return over the weekend for Cotton Days events at Veterans Park.

No formal votes or ordinance numbers were read into the record at the ceremony; the funding contributions and allocations referenced were described by speakers during remarks but were not presented with roll-call votes at the event.