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 Interactive map of Admiral David G. Farragut | |
| Location | Farragut Square,Washington, D.C., United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°54′6.95″N77°02′20.25″W / 38.9019306°N 77.0389583°W /38.9019306; -77.0389583 |
Statue of David Farragut | |
| Part of | Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C. |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000257[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 1978[2] |
| Designer | Vinnie Ream |
| Material | Bronze (sculpture) Granite (base) |
| Length | 3 feet (0.91 m) |
| Width | 3 feet (0.91 m) |
| Height | 10 feet (3.0 m) |
| Opening date | April 25, 1881 |
| Dedicated to | David Farragut |
Admiral David G. Farragut is a statue inWashington, D.C., honoringDavid Farragut, a career military officer who served as the first admiral in theUnited States Navy. The monument is sited in the center ofFarragut Square, a city square in downtown Washington, D.C. The statue was sculpted by female artistVinnie Ream, whose best-known works include a statue ofAbraham Lincoln and several statues in theNational Statuary Hall Collection. The monument was dedicated in 1881 in an extravagant ceremony attended by PresidentJames A. Garfield, members of his cabinet, and thousands of spectators. It was the first monument erected in Washington, D.C., in honor of a naval war hero.
The statue is one ofeighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., which were collectively listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1978. The bronze statue, which rests on a granite base, was cast from theUSSHartford bronze propellers and not from enemy cannon like most Civil War monuments in the city. The monument and surrounding park are owned and maintained by theNational Park Service, a federal agency of theInterior Department.
David Farragut (1801–1870) was a career military officer who first saw combat during theWar of 1812 at the age of 9. He served on theUSSEssex and was captured by the British. After the war, Farragut foughtpirates in the West Indies on the shipUSSFerret, his first command of aUnited States Navy vessel. He also fought in theMexican–American War and oversaw the construction of theMare Island Naval Shipyard in San Francisco. Although Farragut and his wife were Southerners, they remained loyal to the United States during theCivil War. His success incapturing New Orleans resulted in Farragut being honored with a new title created by the Navy,rear admiral. He continued to have great success in defeatingConfederate forces, most notably at theBattle of Mobile Bay, where he uttered his famous phrase, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" Following the war, PresidentAndrew Johnson promoted Farragut toadmiral, the first U.S. naval officer to receive the title.[3]
Soon after Farragut died in 1870, there were calls for a memorial to honor the naval hero. RepresentativeNathaniel P. Banks introduced a resolution in Congress for the erection of a monument to Farragut. The resolution stated that the statue was to be "after a design molded from life", a subtle caveat intended to assist someone Banks already had in mind to create the statue, sculptor Horatio Stone of Washington, D.C., who claimed to have met Farragut and had already begun working on a statue. Bank's resolution was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, where the committee chose to hold a competition, much to the dismay of Stone. Sculptors were only given sixty days to submit models of the statue, but when the congressional act approving the monument passed on April 16, 1872, the resolution was amended, and the deadline for design submissions was extended by nine months.[4][5]
Vinnie Ream (1847–1914), a sculptor who at age nineteen had received the first government commission ever granted a female artist when she created a bust of PresidentAbraham Lincoln, began working on a bust of Farragut, whom she had met several times. Farragut's widow, Virginia, admired Ream's design and became a strong advocate for the artist's model to be selected. Virginia wrote letters of endorsement to committee members and supplied Ream with the names of Farragut's friends so that they too would offer their endorsements to the committee. Thirteen artists submitted models, with Ream being the only woman. Their designs were displayed in the basement of theUnited States Capitol and several were severely criticized by the press, most notably the models by J. Wilson MacDonald,Randolph Rogers, and Edward Watson.[4]
Stone and Ream's model received the most praise. Several naval officers praised Stone's model, calling it "true to life" and "unsurpassed by similar works." Ream's model received praise from several high-profile individuals, most notably PresidentUlysses S. Grant, who called it "first rate". AdmiralDavid Dixon Porter said the model "of Miss Vinnie Ream is the only likeness in the lot." GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman, who was reportedly infatuated with Ream, also became a strong advocate for her model. He wrote to the committee that "the plaster model of Vinnie Ream struck me decidedly as the best likeness, and recalled the memory of the Admiral's face and figure more perfectly than any other model there on exhibition." The decision by the committee ultimately ended in a three-way tie between Ream, Stone, and MacDonald. The project stalled until the next Congress convened in 1874. A commission to select the winning model was created and consisted of Virginia, Sherman, and Secretary of the NavyGeorge M. Robeson. Virginia and Sherman voted to approve Ream's design. However, Robeson refused to accept the result and tried in vain to convince Virginia to change her mind. Two months after the vote, Robeson relented, and Ream's model was officially selected.[4]
Ream was awarded $20,000 for the design and worked on the statue for the next few years. She consulted Virginia and incorporated her suggestions, much to the delight of Virginia. In 1879, Ream announced that the model was ready to be cast and that the process would take place at theWashington Navy Yard, which had never before cast such a large statue. She continued to perfect the model while at the Navy Yard, much to the sailors' delight. Although many of the city's statues of military heroes were cast from captured enemy cannon, Farragut's statue was cast from theUSSHartford bronze propellers that were removed and shipped to the Navy Yard. The amount of bronze yielded from the propellers was enough not only for the statue but the fourmortars on the corners of the statue base.[4]
The site chosen for the statue wasFarragut Square, a park renamed in honor of the admiral shortly after his death. The original dedication date, March 4, 1881, was pushed back because the statue base was not ready. The base did not arrive until April 20, five days before the dedication, resulting in Ream's husband, LieutenantRichard L. Hoxie, working around the clock with a crew of workers to make sure the site was ready. The base was completed, and the statue was erected just hours before the ceremony began.[4]
The statue was dedicated at 1:00 pm on April 25, 1881, becoming the first monument erected in Washington, D.C., in honor of a naval war hero.[6] Government employees were dismissed at noon, the same time a procession began at the base ofCapitol Hill. The military contingent, led by CommodoreCharles H. Baldwin, moved west onPennsylvania Avenue, where houses were decorated with bunting, and past theWhite House, before heading north onConnecticut Avenue.[7] The homes surrounding the square were decorated with streamers and flags. Nearly 4,000 invited guests, including members of theGrand Army of the Republic and fellow sailors who served alongside Farragut, listened toJohn Philip Sousa conduct theMarine Band as they filled three temporary stands that were built on three sides of the statue. Distinguished guests included PresidentJames A. Garfield and his wife,Lucretia, members of the President's cabinet, Virginia Farragut, and Ream.[4][8]
An opening prayer was led by Reverend Arthur Brooks followed by the statue being unveiled by two members of Farragut'sHartford crew, Quartermaster C. B. Knowles and Boatswain James Wiley.[4][7] When the statue was unveiled, the Marine Band began playing a march and a seventeen gun salute was fired from nearbyLafayette Square. Secretary of the NavyWilliam H. Hunt then introduced the president, who formally accepted the statue on behalf of the American people and gave a brief address. He stated: "Today we come to hail this hero, who comes from the sea, down from the shrouds of his flagship, wreathed with the smoke and glory of victory, bringing 60 years of national life and honor, to take his place as an honored compatriot and perpetual guardian of his Nation's glory. In the name of the Nation I accept this noble statue, and his country will guard it as he guarded his country." Speeches were then given by former Postmaster GeneralHorace Maynard and SenatorDaniel W. Voorhees followed by the Marine Band playing "Hail to the Chief" and another seventeen gun salute. After the ceremony, the military procession saluted the statue as they marched back down Connecticut Avenue, past the White House, and down Pennsylvania Avenue.[8]
The Farragut statue is one ofeighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., which were collectively listed on theNational Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1978, and theDistrict of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on March 3, 1979.[2] It is one of the few Civil War monuments that is a not anequestrian sculpture. The others are theDupont Circle Fountain,Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial,Nuns of the Battlefield, thePeace Monument,Albert Pike Memorial and astatue of John Aaron Rawlins.[5] The monument and park are owned and maintained by theNational Park Service, a federal agency of theInterior Department.[9]
The statue is located in the center of Farragut Square, a park indowntown Washington, D.C., bordered byK Street (north), I Street (south), and 17th Street NW (east and west). Two sidewalks bisect the park from the northwest to southeast corners, running along either side of the statue, on axis with Connecticut Avenue. Another sidewalk leads from the northeast to southwest corners and runs along the statue. A small, ornamental iron fence surrounds the statue base.[10]
The bronze statue measures 10 ft (3.0 m) tall, 3 ft (0.91 m) wide, and 3 ft (0.91 m) long. Farragut is depicted in his military uniform and standing on the deck of his ship, facing south towards the White House. His right knee is bent as his right foot rests on acapstan. He is holding a telescope with both hands. The base, made of granite fromRockland, Maine, is 16 ft (4.9 m) tall, 18 ft (5.5 m) long, and 24 ft (7.3 m) wide. It is a square, three-tiered base with a chopped mortar on each corner. The inscription "FARRAGUT" is on the front of the base. Inside the base is a box containing documents related to Farragut's career, a history of the sculpture, a copy of theArmy and Navy Register, and a bronze model of the propeller used to cast the statue and mortars.[9]
Media related toDavid G. Farragut Memorial at Wikimedia Commons
