Three buildings on MacArthur Square in Norfolk make up the MacArthur Memorial, a memorial, museum, and research center about the life of General Douglas MacArthur. Though MacArthur never lived in Norfolk, his mother, Mary Pinkney "Pinky" Hardy MacArthur, was born and raised here, and he kept fond memories of visiting her family home, Riveredge, as a boy. After visiting Norfolk in 1951 to dedicate a park in honor of his mother on land where Riveredge once stood, he decided he would be buried here.
In 1960 he made a promise with the then-mayor, W. Fred Duckworth: the city would host his papers, medals, and memorabilia and provide a place for his burial. Duckworth offered the former Norfolk City Hall building as a combined museum and mausoleum, and the city government built the memorial in the 1960s and has continued to own, renovate, and operate it. Imagine the careful stewardship that brought his papers and medals into this place, and the agreement that placed him and his wife within its walls.
Feel the quiet purpose of these three buildings, your attention moving from structure to structure across MacArthur Square.