Texas Legation Memorial Takes Shape in Washington, Honoring Diplomats Who Secured Statehood

A piece of Texas history is taking root in the nation's capital. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D), Interior Assistant Secretary Kevin Lilly, and members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas unveiled the granite Lone Star base for the Republic of Texas Legation Memorial on Thursday, November 5, in Washington, D.C.

The ceremony at 630 Indiana Avenue NW marked the start of construction on a memorial honoring the Texans who spent nearly a decade negotiating the republic's admission into the United States as the 28th state.

The memorial was authorized through the Republic of Texas Legation Memorial Act, legislation authored by Doggett and signed into law in 2020. The project is being privately funded, as the law prohibits federal funding for construction.

"As a native Texan with more pride in our State after the recent election than ever before, I am pleased that this new monument recognizes an important part of our Texas heritage," said Doggett.

The base, a five-pointed star made of white Mount Airy granite, sits in an existing planter along Indiana Avenue, near the U.S. Navy Memorial. The site is surrounded by locations where Texas diplomats once lived and worked in boarding houses and hotels during the republic's years in Washington.

What will the memorial include?

The completed monument will rise from the granite star with a five-sided plinth, topped by a Daughters of the Republic of Texas medallion. Engravings will recount the history of the Texas Legation, include a map of the Republic of Texas, and list the eight diplomats sent to Washington.

Native Texas and Mid-Atlantic plantings will surround a sweetbay magnolia representing the Lone Star State. The memorial will stand on federal land managed by the National Park Service.

Doggett said the memorial will help visitors understand the diplomatic work behind Texas statehood and its place in American history.

"Because Texas history is America's history," he said.

How did the project come together?

The Republic of Texas maintained a diplomatic legation in Washington from 1936 to 1845, first seeking U.S. recognition and later annexation. Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845.

Doggett introduced the memorial legislation in 2019. It passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support and became law in December 2020.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas later secured design and site approval from federal planning bodies in 2025 and raised the project's full construction cost privately. Kitty Hoeck, a member of the organization, was recognized by Doggett for her leadership in advancing the memorial.