Artwork by Daniel Chester French
The
Dupont Circle Fountain
, formally known as the
Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont Memorial Fountain
, is a fountain located in the center of
Dupont Circle
in
Washington, D.C.
It honors Rear Admiral
Samuel Francis Du Pont
, a prominent American naval officer and member of the
Du Pont family
. The fountain replaced a statue of Du Pont that was installed in 1884. Designed by
Henry Bacon
and sculpted by
Daniel Chester French
, the fountain was dedicated in 1921. Prominent guests at the dedication ceremony included First Lady
Florence Harding
, Secretary of War
John W. Weeks
and Secretary of the Navy
Edwin Denby
.
The fountain is one of eighteen
Civil War monuments
collectively listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
in 1978. The marble fountain, which is adorned with three allegorical sculptures, rests on a concrete base and is surrounded by an open plaza. The fountain and surrounding park are owned and maintained by the
National Park Service
, a federal agency of the
Interior Department
.
History
[
edit
]
Background
[
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]
In 1871, the
United States Army Corps of Engineers
began constructing
Dupont Circle
, which at the time was called Pacific Circle since it was the western boundary of the city's residential areas.
[3]
[4]
On February 25, 1882, Congress renamed the circle and authorized a memorial to
Samuel Francis Du Pont
(1803?1865) to honor his services during the
Mexican?American War
and
Civil War
.
[5]
[6]
He played a large role in the modernization of the
Navy
, and during the Civil War he was responsible for making the
Union blockade
effective against the
Confederacy
, though his failed attempt to attack
Charleston
in 1863 tarnished his career record.
[5]
[6]
[7]
The bronze statue was sculpted by
Launt Thompson
and dedicated on December 20, 1884, at a cost of $20,500. Attendees at the ceremony included President
Chester A. Arthur
, Senator
Thomas F. Bayard
, Admiral
David Dixon Porter
and General
Philip Sheridan
.
[8]
The circle was landscaped with exotic plants and hundreds of trees.
[4]
[6]
In the early 20th century, members of the prominent
Du Pont family
wanted a memorial of greater artistic value and lobbied for a replacement. The family had always disliked the statue and by 1909, the base of the statue had begun to sink and tilt, resulting in jokes being made that Du Pont and sailors were alcoholics.
[9]
Senator
Willard Saulsbury, Jr.
's wife, who was a niece of Du Pont, led efforts to replace the statue.
[10]
The family asked that no government funds be used for the new memorial and that the
Commission of Fine Arts
(CFA) approve the design. On February 26, 1917, Congress approved the replacement of the statue and insisted on construction beginning within three years.
[11]
The Du Pont family chose architect
Henry Bacon
and sculptor
Daniel Chester French
to design a fountain that reflected the
Beaux-Arts
and
neoclassical
styles that were popular in the neighborhood at the time, such as the
Patterson Mansion
, located on the northeast edge of the circle.
[10]
[12]
Bacon is best known for designing the
Lincoln Memorial
while French's best known work is the
statue of Abraham Lincoln
inside the memorial.
[10]
French's other works in Washington, D.C. include the
Butt-Millet Memorial Fountain
, the
First Division Monument
and the
Thomas Gallaudet Memorial
.
[6]
The total cost of the commission was $77,521.
[13]
The CFA approved the design in 1917 and work began on the fountain shortly thereafter.
[11]
Congress wanted recognition for its earlier attempt to honor Du Pont, so the inscription on the fountain had to include the fact that a statue erected by Congress was replaced.
[10]
An early model included plans for a fountain emitting water at the top, but this wasn't incorporated into the final design.
[6]
The fountain was carved by the
Piccirilli Brothers
, who also carved French's statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. The contractor was the
George A. Fuller Company
, whose other projects include the
Flatiron Building
and the
Plaza Hotel
in New York City.
[14]
In 1920, the statue was moved to
Rockford Park
in
Wilmington
,
Delaware
, the hometown of the Du Pont family.
[12]
Later that year, the fountain was installed using pipes that were placed in 1877 for a potential fountain that had never been built.
[6]
[14]
After the installation, mature trees and thick vegetation were planted in the surrounding park.
[15]
Dedication
[
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]
The fountain was formally dedicated the afternoon of May 17, 1921.
[14]
[16]
The ceremony, which was supervised by Lieutenant Colonel Clarence O. Sherrill, was described as "simple, yet impressive." A temporary stand decorated with flags and shields was built for prominent guests including First Lady
Florence Harding
, Secretary of War
John W. Weeks
and Secretary of the Navy
Edwin Denby
.
[16]
[17]
[18]
Chairs were placed along the walkways surrounding the fountain and sailors served as ushers for the event. While invited guests were being seated, the
Navy Band
performed music. Following the concert, members of the public were allowed to enter the area and soon filled the surrounding park.
[9]
[16]
The invocation was given by Episcopal bishop
Alfred Harding
followed by presentation of the colors while the band performed "
The Stars and Stripes Forever
". The cloth screens concealing the fountain were then removed by Du Pont's granddaughter, Sophie Du Pont Ford, and the band performed the national anthem and "
Narcissus
" by
Ethelbert Nevin
. The fountain was formally presented by Rear Admiral Purnell Frederick Harrington, who had served alongside Du Pont. Weeks received the fountain as a gift from the Du Pont family on behalf of the government. A speech was then given by Denby who praised Du Pont's services to his country. He stated: "Du Pont's hereditary background had justified the hope so meritoriously fulfilled in that officer's career, while his service as a midshipman on the then active
Constitution
must have proved an inspiration for his later activities." Denby also praised Du Pont's attitude toward his fellow sailors and his willingness to put the country's needs above his own. He concluded his speech by noting how proud the Navy was of the new memorial and expressed hopes that it would always be well maintained. Following Denby's speech, three young girls that were descendants of du Pont, Ann Andrews, Emily Du Pont and Mary Harvey, placed
laurel wreaths
in the fountain water. The ceremony concluded with the band performing "
Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean
."
[16]
Later history
[
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]
The fountain was a frequent target for vandals who would repeatedly break off fingers or hands from the sculptures. New hands were later carved and attached to the sculptures.
[19]
[20]
In 1948, the fountain was temporarily removed when a
streetcar
underpass was built beneath Dupont Circle. When it was moved back to its original location two years later, the fountain's pumping system was replaced.
[21]
When the new system was installed, workers forgot to connect the pipes to the fountain. The issue was corrected the following year and the fountain became operational.
[22]
The fountain is one of eighteen
Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C.
that were collectively listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) on September 20, 1978, and the
District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites
on March 3, 1979.
[2]
It is one of the few Civil War monuments that is a not an
equestrian sculpture
. The others are the
Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial
,
Nuns of the Battlefield
, the
Peace Monument
, and statues of
Admiral David G. Farragut
,
Albert Pike
and
General John A. Rawlins
.
[13]
The fountain is designated a
contributing property
to the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District, listed on the NRHP on October 22, 1974, and the Dupont Circle Historic District, listed on the NRHP on July 21, 1978.
[2]
In the late 1990s, the fountain was restored by sculptor
Constantine Seferlis
.
[23]
The fountain and surrounding park are owned and maintained by the
National Park Service
, a federal agency of the
Interior Department
.
[14]
Design and location
[
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]
The fountain sits in the center of Dupont Circle, a park, traffic circle and neighborhood in the
northwest quadrant
of Washington, D.C. The park is located at the convergence of 19th Street,
P Street
,
Connecticut Avenue
,
Massachusetts Avenue
and
New Hampshire Avenue
NW.
[24]
The double-tiered, white marble fountain rests on a concrete base. The upper basin of the fountain, which is approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) high and 11.6 feet (3.5 m) wide and weighs 15 tons, is supported by an 8-ton shaft adorned with three allegorical figures, the Arts of Ocean Navigation. The figures, which are approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) tall and 4.5 feet (1.4 m) wide and weigh 12 tons, represent the Sea, the Stars and the Wind.
[8]
[14]
The Sea is represented by a female figure with long hair holding a boat in her right hand while caressing a
seagull
on her shoulder with her left hand. Her left foot rests on a
dolphin
. The Stars is a nude female figure with long hair holding a
globe
in her left hand and is faced downward. The Wind is a nude male figure draped with a ship sail. He is holding a
conch
shell with his left hand to use as a horn and is facing right. The water pours over the upper basin into a large lower basin that is approximately 1.8 feet (0.55 m) tall. The inscription on the outer rim of the lower basin states: "THIS MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN REPLACES A STATUE ERECTED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES IN RECOGNITION OF HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICES. SAMUEL FRANCIS DUPONT UNITED STATES NAVY 1803 ? 1865." The circular concrete base features four sets of three steps that lead to the surrounding plaza.
[14]
Six radial paths corresponding to the surrounding streets lead from the plaza to the edges of the park.
[25]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"National Register Information System"
.
National Register of Historic Places
.
National Park Service
. July 9, 2010.
- ^
a
b
c
"District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites"
(PDF)
. District of Columbia Office of Planning ? Historic Preservation Office. September 30, 2009. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on November 5, 2014
. Retrieved
January 18,
2014
.
- ^
Goode, James M. (1974).
The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C
. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 291.
ISBN
0-87474-149-1
.
- ^
a
b
Helwig, Anne H.; Ganschinietz, Suzanne (February 21, 1978).
"National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form - Dupont Circle Historic District"
. National Park Service
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Weddle, Kevin John (2005).
Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont
. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. pp. 24, 111.
ISBN
9780813923321
.
Archived
from the original on 2016-04-07
. Retrieved
2015-01-26
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Williams, Paul K. (February 21, 2012).
"Changes Over Time to Dupont Circle Park and Fountain"
. The House History Man.
Archived
from the original on January 19, 2015
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
"Fort Dupont"
. National Park Service.
Archived
from the original on January 31, 2013
. Retrieved
January 25,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Grove, Lee (May 16, 1950). "Circle Fountain Honors Admiral Dupont".
The Washington Post
.
- ^
a
b
Jacob, Kathryn Allamong (1998).
Testament to Union: Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C
. Baltimore: JHU Press. pp. 128?130.
ISBN
9780801858611
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Hansen, Stephen A. (2014).
A History of Dupont Circle: Center of High Society in the Capital
. Charleston: The History Press.
ISBN
9781625850843
.
Archived
from the original on 2016-04-09
. Retrieved
2015-01-19
.
- ^
a
b
"Memorial Fountain Soon To Be Replaced"
.
Evening Star
. June 13, 1919.
Archived
from the original on January 19, 2015
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Wentzel, Volkmar Kur (1998).
Washington by Night: Vintage Photographs from the 30s
. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing. p. 74.
ISBN
9781555914103
.
Archived
from the original on 2016-04-10
. Retrieved
2015-01-19
.
- ^
a
b
Scott, Gary (September 19, 1977).
"National Register of Historic Places Inventory?Nomination Form ? Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C."
National Park Service
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"DuPont Circle Fountain, (sculpture)"
. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Archived
from the original on January 19, 2015
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
Williams, Paul K. (2000).
Dupont Circle
. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. p. 26.
ISBN
9780738506333
.
Archived
from the original on 2017-03-19
. Retrieved
2016-10-07
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Dupont Fountain Given to Public".
The Evening Star
. May 18, 1921. p. 17.
- ^
"Mrs. Harding at Unveiling"
.
The Washington Herald
. May 18, 1921.
Archived
from the original on January 19, 2015
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
"Photo"
.
The Sunday Star
. May 29, 1921.
Archived
from the original on January 19, 2015
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
"Statues Mutilated on Dupont Fountain".
The Washington Post
. May 2, 1933.
- ^
"Vandals 'Unhand' Statue of Woman At Dupont Circle".
The Washington Post
. October 2, 1936.
- ^
"Du Pont Circle Fountain Soon Will Be Replaced"
.
The Sunday Star
. April 9, 1950
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
"Dupont Circle's Fountain Soon To Spout Again".
The Washington Post
. May 10, 1951.
- ^
Holley, Joe (April 3, 2005).
"Cathedral Sculptor Constantine L. Seferlis Dies"
.
The Washington Post
.
Archived
from the original on March 3, 2016
. Retrieved
January 19,
2015
.
- ^
United States Geological Survey (2011).
Washington West Quadrangle, District of Columbia?Maryland?Virginia (Map)
. Reston, Virginia: United States Department of the Interior. pp. 1 : 24, 000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic).
OCLC
777027791
.
- ^
Bednar, Michael (2006).
L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D.C.
Baltimore: JHU Press. p. 180.
ISBN
9780801883187
.
Archived
from the original on 2016-04-11
. Retrieved
2015-01-19
.
External links
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