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

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.

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.