Macedonian Monument

As you're maneuvering your way through the Naval Academy, on the side of the road is this bust on a pedestal.  I took a picture because it was a monument for me to look into later. But one of the things that really made it stand out was it was so BRIGHT white!  The pedestal is a stone which is much darker, but it was so white it almost glowed!

A quick look at my guide map said this was the Macedonian Monument, but what does that mean?  Why is it there and what does it have to do with the Navy?

The wooden (yes wooden) bust is of Alexander the Great, and commemorates the victory of the USS United States over the HMS Macedonia during the opening days of the War of 1812. This wooden bust was the original figurehead of the HMS Macedonia and was taken after the victory along with some cannons.  In 1924 it was erected on the yard with the cannons on an ornamental concrete base.  In 1960, the wooden bust was encased in Fiberglass, because it was in such poor condition. 

​In January of 2017, a  company named Aeon Preservation Services was hired to restore the monument.  They dismantled the monument piece by piece.  They laser scanned the original and together with historical photographs, they created the replica you see here today. The bronze plates were all cleaned, treated and reinstalled. The cannons were even given a full restoration treatment.  I have to say, they did a great job, and it looks great!