Commodore John Barry | |
.jpg) Commodore John Barry statue in 2015 | |
| Location | Franklin Square,Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°54′7″N77°1′54″W / 38.90194°N 77.03167°W /38.90194; -77.03167 |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | John Boyle (sculptor) Edward Pearce Casey (architect) Roman Bronze Works (founder) |
| Part of | American Revolution Statuary (78000256)[1] L'Enfant Plan (97000332)[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | July 14, 1978 (American Revolution Statuary) April 24, 1997 (L'Enfant Plan) |
| Designated DCIHS | March 3, 1979 |
Thestatue of John Barry commemorates the "Father of the United States Navy", CommodoreJohn Barry (1745–1806). Barry was an Irish-born sailor who joined the Americancolonists in the fight for independence from theKingdom of Great Britain. Barry became the first officer to be commissioned by theSecond Continental Congress. He captained several ships during theAmerican Revolutionary War, and fought not only in theContinental Navy, but also in theContinental Army as well. He was the first American to capture an enemy ship and was promoted tocommodore by PresidentGeorge Washington in 1794. Barry's last ship, theUnited States, fought in theQuasi-War. He retired in 1801, but remained head of theUnited States Navy until his death in 1806.
Plans to build a memorial to Barry began in 1902. With assistance from members ofCongress, a bill to install the memorial and the allocation of $50,000 (equivalent to $1,749,815 in 2024) to pay for it was approved in 1906. The National Commodore John Barry Statue Commission included government officials, veterans, and manyIrish American groups. The person who won the commission to create the sculpture wasJohn J. Boyle. Work on the sculpture and pedestal took place from 1911 to 1913.
A dedication ceremony for the memorial took place in 1914, and included a large parade throughWashington, D.C. Over 10,000 people, including PresidentWoodrow Wilson, members of Congress, military leaders, andSupreme Court justices, attended the ceremony. The unveiling of the statue was done by one of Barry's descendants. The bronze statue of Barry is located at the western edge ofFranklin Square in downtown Washington, D.C. Barry is portrayed wearing a military uniform while his right hand is holding scrolls and resting on a sword. The female allegorical statue on the front of the pedestal represents Victory. She is holding a laurel wreath as an eagle rests below her right arm.
The memorial is one of fourteenstatues listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and theDistrict of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 1978 and 1979, respectively. The memorial is also acontributing property to theL'Enfant Plan, listed on the NRHP in 1997.
John Barry was born 1745 inIreland, and later worked as acabin boy before immigrating to theBritish colonies in America at age 15.[3][4] Fifteen years later, as theThirteen Colonies began fighting for their independence in theAmerican Revolutionary War, he joined theContinental Navy. Barry was named captain ofUSS Lexington in December 1775, the first commission by theSecond Continental Congress. While commanding the ship, he became the first American to capture aRoyal Navy ship.[5][6][7]
Barry commandedLexington for most of 1776. Not only did Barry serve in the Continental Navy, he also served in theContinental Army during the winter of 1776–1777, successfully fighting the enemy at theBattle of Trenton andBattle of Princeton. In 1777, he commandedUSS Delaware, and was responsible for leading successful attacks on the Royal Navy. In 1778, he commanded theUSS Raleigh, which ran aground and was repaired for use by British forces. In 1781, Barry commandedUSSAlliance during a successful battle with the Royal Navy. He was seriously injured in the process, but it was the final naval battle of the war.[3][6]
After the war ended and America had won its freedom, PresidentGeorge Washington issued Barry Commission Number 1. He was referred to ascommodore from that point. His final ship was theUnited States which he captained during theQuasi-War withFrance.[3][4] He retired after that war, but retained his role as head of theUnited States Navy until his death in 1803. Barry's contribution to American wars, including being the first American commissioned naval officer, earned him praise and admiration.[6][3] He is referred to as the "Father of the United States Navy".[7]
In early 1902, a social club inWashington, D.C., voted unanimously for a memorial to be placed in the city. Michael Francis O'Donoghue, husband ofMarian Longfellow O'Donoghue, was anIrish American who was tasked with getting permission fromCongress for the memorial. RepresentativeMichael E. Driscoll and SenatorThomas Kearns agreed to introduce a bill in Congress that would result in the erection of the memorial. The first bill was written by O'Donoghue and was introduced in theHouse of Representatives and theSenate. With assistance from SenatorHenry C. Hansbrough, the bill passed the Senate with an appropriation of $25,000 (equivalent to $908,558 in 2024) for the memorial to be built. SenatorGeorge P. Wetmore later increased the funding to $50,000 (equivalent to $1,817,115 in 2024).[8]
Later that year, the National Commodore John Barry Statue Commission was formed, which included members of Congress and the public. The plan for a memorial was supported by Irish organizations including theAncient Order of Hibernians, as well as theDaughters of the American Revolution and theSons of the American Revolution. At the same time, there were calls for the funding of a memorial toJohn Paul Jones. The bill was modified to include approval of both memorials, allocating $50,000 for each one.[8][9] After passing both chambers of Congress, the bill was signed into law by PresidentTheodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906. A competition between 25 Irish American artists took place in 1908 to find a sculptor for the memorial.[6][8][10]
After the winning design was rejected and the other top two finalists were eliminated, the person chosen to sculpt the statue was Irish-AmericanJohn Boyle, a choice hailed by Irish groups. After the design was approved in 1911, the committee in charge of the memorial choseFranklin Square as the place where the memorial would be installed. After numerous ideas were suggested for its location in the park, it was decided the memorial would stand in the center of the western edge of the park.[8][10] One person who supported its location was landscape architectGeorge Burnap from theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers who lamented the fact that "In America, we have the horrid habit of placing an equestrian statue to some war hero or other in the exact centre [sic] of every park."[11]
Final approval of the memorial's design occurred in 1911 and a contract was signed with Boyle in November that year.[9] The model was completed in 1911 and the casting in 1913. In addition to Boyle,Edward Pearce Casey was selected to be the memorial's architect, Irving W. Payne and Burnap to be the landscape architects, andRoman Bronze Works to be thefounder.[5][10]
A report in 1913 to theDepartment of War indicated the model of the statue would be completed by Spring 1914, and that casting it in bronze would take several months. There was also an appropriations bill made for the federal government to allocate $2,500 for the memorial dedication ceremony.[9] In December 1913, the memorial's foundation, base, and a surrounding plaza were completed.[10] Irish American groups postponed the dedication until May 1914, mostly because it would allow them to properly prepare for the ceremony.[12]
The day before the dedication ceremony on May 16, 1914, thousands of members from Irish organizations including the Irish Fellowship Club,American Irish Historical Society, and Ancient Order of Hibernians, planned to travel toMount Vernon in order to visit Washington's tomb.[13] All Irish Americans were invited to the ceremony on the 16th, and many families with the Barry surname planned to attend.[14] Approximately 10,000 people traveled to Washington, D.C. for the event, many coming by train.[15]
Before the ceremony began, there was a parade leading to the memorial, and many buildings along the way were decorated withU.S. flags and green flagsdepicting the harp of Erin. Amongst those who marched in the parade were Irish American organization members, including theFriendly Sons of St. Patrick, and active and retired members of the military, including a contingent of veterans. The parade began at18th Street NW andPennsylvania Avenue, and after passingLafayette Square, turned north onMadison Place to Vermont Avenue. The parade then walked north to I Street and traveled to14th Street, reaching Franklin Square. After walking past the review stand, the parade ended a few blocks north atThomas Circle.[15]
Prominent people in attendance included PresidentWoodrow Wilson and some of hiscabinet members, andSupreme Court justices. Members of the U.S. military, including the army and navy, were also in attendance. TheSenate andHouse of Representatives recessed at 2pm so that members could attend. Music during the ceremony was provided by theUnited States Marine Band.[15]
The invocation was given by BishopAlfred Harding. This was followed by a speech from RepresentativeJames A. Hamill who listed Barry's achievements. The Marine Band played additional music before a speech was made byAsa Bird Gardiner, secretary general of theSociety of the Cincinnati, who paid tribute not only to Barry, but other military heroes of the Revolutionary War. The unveiling was done by Elise H. Hepburne, a descendant of Barry, while the Marine Band playedThe Star-Spangled Banner. President Wilson then gave a brief speech praising Barry. The day after the ceremony, a large banquet took place at theWillard Hotel with the President and other government officials in attendance.[13][10]
For many years officials from theDepartment of the Navy would lay wreaths at the city's navy memorials onNavy Day, a practice that ended in 1949 whenArmed Forces Day was established. OnSaint Patrick's Day members of the local Irish War Veterans group would also lay wreaths at the memorial.[10]
On July 14, 1978, a group of fourteenAmerican Revolution Statuary, including the Barry memorial, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The following year on March 3, 1979, the group was added to theDistrict of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites. On April 24, 1997, the memorial was included as acontributing property to theL'Enfant Plan, added to the NRHP on April 24, 1997.[16][17]
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The memorial is located on the western edge of Franklin Square, facing 14th Street, and between I andK Streets NW.[10][18] It is centered in a rectangular marble plaza, with a marble bench and small iron fence behind the memorial. Marble steps connect the plaza to the sidewalk along 14th Street.[10] The statue of Barry is approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) tall and made of bronze. He is depicted wearing his military uniforms of the Navy and Army, including a large cloak and a three-cornered hat. His left arm is reclined by his side and his right hand is holding a stack of papers resting on a sword. His left leg stands further out than the right, giving the appearance of him walking.[5][6][18]
The pedestal is approximately 15 feet (4.6 m) tall and 4 feet (1.2 m) wide. It is made ofKnoxville pink marble while the base steps are made of pink granite. On the front of the pedestal is an allegorical female figure representing Victory which is also made of Knoxville pink marble. Her right arm is raised, holding alaurel wreath, while an eagle rests under the arm. Her left hand is resting on the top of a sword. She has long hair that rests on her shoulders. Her outfit consists of a long robe which is tied at the chest and the waist.[5][6][18]
The inscription on the memorial reads:[19]
(Pedestal, west face:)
J.J. BOYLE
(Base, front:)
JOHN BARRY
COMMODORE UNITED STATES NAVY
BORN COUNTY WEXFORD IRELAND 1745
DIED IN PHILADELPHIA 1803
(Base, right:)
JOHN J. BOYLE
SCULPTOR
EDWARD P. CASEY
ARCHITECT
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