In Pillar of Fire (sculpture), how is the History discussed?
In 2008, JBG Smith purchased the Whitman-Walker Clinic's former building located at 1407 S Street NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  The Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) suggested a plaque be placed on the building noting the history of the clinic.  Instead the company wanted a more prominent way of honoring the healthcare workers and clinic's role in assisting people living with HIV/AIDS during the height of the AIDS epidemic.  James Nozar, a vice president of JBG, said "We thought the work of the clinic during the peak of the AIDS epidemic was worthy of a better memorial than just a plaque."  In 2012, JBG announced the memorial would be installed on the corner of 14th and S Streets in front of the renovated building which was incorporated into a 125-unit apartment complex called The District.  The plan was approved by the HPRB, Office of Planning and Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC).  Ramon Estrada, a member of the ANC, noted the area was designated an arts overlay district and the installation of public art was encouraged.  The total cost of the project was $80,000.Pillar of Fire was dedicated on November 4, 2013, with Cochran, representatives from JBG and Whitman-Walker, and Councilmember Jim Graham in attendance.  Graham, executive director of Whitman-Walker from 1984 to 2009, stated: "This is a celebration of the human spirit...Because the human spirit that worked in this building, that worked with individuals who, very often, were very poor and facing what was then thought to be a terminal illness – and was, in fact a terminal illness – who had no resources, no support system, very little in the way of friends and supporters, often abandoned by their family, abandoned by their employers. They came to this building as a place of hope and response."  The following month Mayor Vincent Gray and around 75 people held a candlelight vigil at the new memorial on World AIDS Day.
JBG Smith HIV/AIDS Washington, D.C. World AIDS Day Jim Graham Advisory Neighborhood Commission height of the AIDS epidemic 14th Logan Circle Vincent Gray Whitman-Walker Clinic