Ambassador's residence: the Churchill statue

Standing outside the garden on Massachusetts Avenue is a bronze statue of Sir Winston Churchill.

It is the work of William M. McVey of Cleveland, when he was head of the Sculpture Department of the Cleveland Institute of Art. The statue stands astride the boundary between the property of the British Embassy and the District of Columbia to symbolise Sir Winston's Anglo-American parentage and his Honorary Citizenship of the United States, and is also on permanent loan from the English Speaking Union.

It was unveiled by the Hon Dean Rusk, then Secretary of State, on 9 April 1966, the third anniversary of the granting of U.S. citizenship to Sir Winston, a generous tribute by the people of the United States to a great man.

Until 1985, throughout the year greenery or flowers depending on the season were placed in Churchill's hand. The sight was a tradition enjoyed in Washington for many years, but the admirer always remained anonymous.