John Paul Jones Memorial

John Paul Jones Memorial
Artist Charles H. Niehaus
Year 1912
Type Bronze
Dimensions 330 cm × 97 cm × 110 cm (130 in × 38 in × 43 in)
Location Washington, D.C., United States
Owner

National Park Service

John Paul Jones Memorial
Location West Potomac Park, S.W. Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°53′17.63″N 77°2′22.2″W / 38.8882306°N 77.039500°W / 38.8882306; -77.039500Coordinates: 38°53′17.63″N 77°2′22.2″W / 38.8882306°N 77.039500°W / 38.8882306; -77.039500
Area less than one acre
Part of American Revolution Statuary.
NRHP Reference # 78000256[1]
Added to NRHP July 14, 1978[2]

The John Paul Jones Memorial is a monument in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C.. The memorial honors John Paul Jones, the United States' first naval war hero, father of the United States Navy, the only naval officer to receive a Congressional Gold Medal during the American Revolutionary War, and whose famous quote "I have not yet begun to fight!" was uttered during the Battle of Flamborough Head.[3][4]

History

Dedicated on April 17, 1912, the John Paul Jones Memorial was the first monument raised in Potomac Park. The memorial is located near the National Mall at the terminus of 17th Street Southwest near Independence Avenue on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin.[4][5] A nearby marker contains a biographical sketch of John Paul Jones, and describes the memorial's history and features.[6]

The memorial consists of a 10-foot (3 m) bronze statue that was sculpted by Charles H. Niehaus and a 15-foot (4.6 m) marble pylon. On each side of the monument, water flows out of ducts into a small pool.[7] On the reverse side of the monument is a bas-relief of Jones raising the United States flag on his ship, the Bonhomme Richard. The event is believed to be the first time the United States flag was flown on an American warship.[4]

The statue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the American Revolution Statuary group in Washington, D.C.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "American Revolution Statuary". National Park Service. July 14, 1978. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  3. ↑ Biography of John Paul Jones, United States Senate, retrieved 2008-05-21
  4. 1 2 3 Penczer, Peter (2008), The Washington National Mall, Oneonta Press, ISBN 0-9629841-2-4
  5. ↑ Bednar, Michael (2006), L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D.C., JHU Press, p. 67, ISBN 0-8018-8318-0, OCLC 219305717
  6. ↑ "John Paul Jones Memorial marker". HMdg.org: The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  7. ↑ "Commodore John Paul Jones, (sculpture).". Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum. February 1994. Retrieved August 10, 2011.

External links

Media related to John Paul Jones Memorial at Wikimedia Commons

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