Statue of George Washington (Perth Amboy, New Jersey)
| George Washington | |
|---|---|
Terra cotta | |
| Subject | George Washington |
| Dimensions | 1.8 m × 0.61 m × 0.61 m (6 ft × 2 ft × 2 ft) |
| Location | Market Square, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States |
| 40°30′23.6″N 74°15′57.3″W / 40.506556°N 74.265917°W | |
George Washington is a life-size
Danish-American sculptor Nels N. Alling and located in the city of Perth Amboy in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.[1] The statue of General George Washington was a gift of the Scandinavians of Perth Amboy and dedicated on February 22, 1896.[1][2]
Background
General Washington viewed Perth Amboy, then the colonial capital of New Jersey, as important in the defense of New York City during the American Revolutionary War. In June 1776, he established a flying camp, a strategic reserve unit, in the city with General Hugh Mercer in command.[3]
Perth Amboy was the heart of the Clay District for the production of
Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company, was incorporated in 1879 by Alfred Hall.[5] The work attracted immigration from Denmark, England, Hungary, and Italy.[6]
Commission
On Labor Day, 1894,
Washington's Birthday, February 22, 1896.[9]
Description
The life-size 6-foot (1.8 m) terra cotta statue, on a 10-foot (3.0 m) pedestal, is located in Market Square, next to the
tricorner hat with cockade. On his left side, he is sheathing his sword, held in his right hand, representing his leadership during the war.[2] Alling signed his name on the base. The pedestal has the inscription "George Washington, The Father of His Country". In 1983, the Danish Brotherhood in American had the statue restored for the 300th anniversary of the city. Further repairs were made in 1985.[1]
|
|
 Profile view, Alling's name on the base |
 Statue on pedestal, Market Square |
See also
- 1896 in art
- List of sculptures of presidents of the United States
- List of statues of George Washington
- New Jersey in the American Revolution
References
- ^ a b c d "George Washington the Father of His Country, (sculpture)". Inventory of American Sculpture, Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
- ^ a b c d Osborne, W. R. (April 1896). "A Terra Cotta Monument – The Father of Our Country in Jersey Clay". The Clay-Worker. XXV (4). Indianapolis, Indiana: 335–336.
An Appropriate Gift From the Foreign Born Clayworkers of America's Greatest Clay Center in the Municipality of Perth Amboy.
- ^ Washington, George (June 9, 1776). "From George Washington to Joseph Trumbull, 9 June 1776". Founders Online, National Archives.
As to the flying Camp, it is probable, that its first Station will be in the Neighbourhood of Amboy.
- JSTOR 40968875.
Perhaps the most impressive is a larger-than-life-size statue of George Washington in "limestone color" terra cotta
- ^ Veit (1999), p. 12.
- ^ Veit (1999), p. 18.
- ^ Murtha, Hillary (2004). Uncommon Clay: New Jersey's Architectural Terra Cotta Industry. Cornelius Low House/Middlesex County Museum, New Jersey: Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
- ISBN 1-878381-05-9.
Nels Alling, perhaps the most talented of the area's terra cotta sculptors
- ^ a b "A Washington Statue for Perth Amboy". The New York Times. August 6, 1895.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Statue of George Washington (Perth Amboy, New Jersey).
- "George Washington". The Historical Marker Database.
- "Revolutionary War Sites in Perth Amboy, New Jersey". George Washington Statue
- Bzdak, Meredith Arms (1999). Public Sculpture in New Jersey: Monuments to Collective Identity. New Brunswick, New Jersey: ISBN 0-8135-2699-X.