Frederick L. (Frederick Loviad) Harvey

Frederick L. Harvey, fully identified in library and public-domain records as Frederick Loviad Harvey (1856–1923), is known today for History of the Washington National Monument and of the Washington National Monument Society, published in 1902. That book traces the decades-long effort to create the monument to George Washington and remains the work most closely associated with his name.

The title page of the book identifies him as secretary of the Washington National Monument Society, which helps explain the detail and firsthand perspective in his writing. His work sits at the intersection of history, public service, and preservation, focusing less on literary flourish than on recording how a major national memorial was planned, delayed, funded, and finally carried forward.

Reliable biographical details about Harvey himself are limited in the sources readily available online, so much of his personal life remains obscure. What can be said with confidence is that he left behind a useful historical record of one of the best-known landmarks in Washington, D.C., and that his writing still circulates through library catalogs and public-domain editions.