| George Washington | |
|---|---|
 George Washington in profile | |
  George Washington  George Washington  George Washington | |
| Artist | J. Massey Rhind |
| Year | 1912 (1912) |
| Medium | Bronze sculpture |
| Subject | George Washington |
| Dimensions | 2.6 m × 1.7 m × 3.8 m (8.5 ft × 5.5 ft × 12.5 ft) |
| Location | Washington Park Newark, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°44′33.4″N74°10′10.9″W / 40.742611°N 74.169694°W /40.742611; -74.169694 |
George Washington | |
| Part of | James Street Commons Historic District. (ID78001758[1]) |
| Designated CP | January 9, 1978 |
George Washington is an outdoorequestrian statue by theScottish-American sculptorJ. Massey Rhind located inHarriet Tubman Square (formerly Washington Park) inNewark, New Jersey. It depicts GeneralGeorge Washington saying farewell to the troops of theContinental Army on November 2, 1783, and was dedicated on the anniversary of that event in 1912.
SculptorJ. Massey Rhind was commissioned to do the work, funded by the bequest of Amos H. Van Horn (1840–1908), owner of one of the largest furniture stores in Newark.[2] Born inEdinburgh, Rhind (1860–1936) had a workshop inNew York City and was known for the classicalcaryatids atMacy's Department Store on 34th Street.[3] Rhind's proposal was for a distinctive equestrian statue, showing General Washington saying farewell to the troops and standing beside, rather than mounted on, his horse, which helped secure the commission.[2][4] The statue was cast in 1912 by theRoman Bronze Works of New York City,[5] which had also done the casting of Rhind's sculptures for theStephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial inWashington, D.C.[6]George Washington was installed in Newark'sWashington Park and dedicated on November 2, 1912, the anniversary of the event depicted.[2][7] PresidentWilliam H. Taft was scheduled to deliver an address at the dedication, but then had to attend the funeral of vice-presidentJames S. Sherman, who had died three days earlier, on October 30.[8]
Thebronze sculpture depicts General Washington saying his farewell address to the troops of the Continental Army atRocky Hill, New Jersey, on November 2, 1783. This event was after word of thepeace treaty ending theAmerican Revolutionary War had arrived fromParis. The statue shows Washington, dismounted from his horse, in military uniform, and with a riding cloak over his shoulder. His horse is shown with a raised foot and lowered head. The statue measures approximately 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) high x 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) wide x 12 feet 6 inches (3.81 m) long and is on a stone base that measures approximately 2 feet (0.61 m) high x 14 feet 8 inches (4.47 m) wide x 15 feet 7 inches (4.75 m) long.[4][5]
After its dedication in 1912, brewery mogulChristian William Feigenspan commissioned Rhind for a copy of theequestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni inVenice. The statue was dedicated in Newark'sClinton Park (now Lincoln Park) on July 28, 1916.[9][10]
The Washington statue was added to theNational Register of Historic Places as a contributing property of theJames Street Commons Historic District on January 9, 1978.[11] It was surveyed by theSave Outdoor Sculpture program of theSmithsonian American Art Museum in 1995.[12]
Unlike many other memorials to the country's first president, this equestrian version portrays Washington dismounted.
The Rhind Washington shows the general standing beside his charger, facing outward.
It has been found possible to dedicate the statue on the very anniversary day of the episode just described.
Media related toStatue of George Washington Newark at Wikimedia Commons
