As part of those celebrations in Florida, statues of other Founding Fathers are planned to be shown in counties named after them: Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe counties. Florida is commissioning another Washington statue to be placed in Washington County.

The statue was unveiled Thursday to spark "early interest" in the United States' upcoming 250th anniversary of independence in 2026.

With Florida preparing next year to mark the semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday helped unveil a bronze statue of George Washington in the state Capitol.

Gov. Ron DeSantis emphasized George Washington’s virtue in choosing the success of the country over his desire for power during Thursday’s unveiling of a statue to honor the founding father at the Capitol in Tallahassee.