In 1881, then Secretary of State
James G. Blaine, an early Dupont Circle resident, was complaining about the poor condition of Dupont Circle park (known then as Pacific Circle) and was pushing to have it cleaned up. The park had fallen into generally bad condition, with its concrete walks needing to be replaced and the lawn to be re-sodded. The wooden fence around the park needed replacing, and the open area was in need of trees and flowers. Blaine also thought that the circle could benefit from a fountain or statue of some sort. He actually suggested moving the Bartholdi fountain from the Capitol grounds to the circle, claiming it had attracted a lot of attention at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia but hardly any since its arrival in Washington. But the assassination of President Garfield distracted Blaine from his improvement project for the circle.
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| Admiral Du Pont statue in Dupont Circle, circa 1901. Library of Congress. |
In 1883, Congress appropriated $13,700 for a bronze statue of Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont to be designed by Irish-born sculptor Lount Thompson of Philadelphia. Many residents in the city were opposed to yet another statue of a Civil War hero. There were already statues of Generals George Henry Thomas and Winfield Scott, Major General James McPherson, Admiral David Farragut and General John Rawlins occupying public parks and traffic circles. These military statues were becoming monotonous, but Congress wanted to continue reminding the citizens of a once southern-dominated city that the North had won the war.
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Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont.
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No one was certain why, if there had to be yet another military statue, it should Admiral Du Pont—few actually knew who he was. And Du Pont did not have what one might consider a particularly stellar military career. In 1863, his attack on Charleston failed dramatically. He was relieved of command and died dejected in 1865. One outraged citizen wrote to the Washington Post suggesting that there should be a picture posted around the area so people would know if the statue actually looked like its subject and then suggested that a fountain, even if it had no water, would be better option than a statue of Du Pont.
The unveiling of Du Pont’s statue, which had been erected on a raised mound in the center of the circle, occurred on a cold, wintery afternoon on December 20, 1884. The crowd was not as large as expected but still numbered around 2,500. Attended by President Chester Arthur, the ceremony consisted of the marine band and an opening prayer by the rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, the unveiling of the statue by Secretary Chandler and a speech by Senator Bayard elaborating Du Pont’s brilliant military exploits. Sophie Du Pont, who was both the widow and a first cousin of the admiral, was not able to attend the unveiling. The ceremony was capped off with a rear admiral’s thirteen-gun salute. The circle was then officially rechristened as Du Pont Circle (the name soon to be contracted to Dupont).
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Dupont Circle postcard circa 1900. The Du Pont statue stood where the fountain is today.
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In addition to being another unwanted military statue, it was considered ugly, even by the Du Pont family and became referred as "old iron whiskers." Mississippi congressman John Williams, who was orphaned as a result of the Civil War and not a fan of Union generals, tried to pass a joint resolution in Congress authorizing the removal of the statue from the circle and the erection a more suitable memorial to be paid for by the Du Pont family, but that resolution did not pass and it continued to stand in place.
Finally, Congress acted in 1917 authorizing the removal of the statue with the condition that the Dupont family pay for a better monument. But the statue would remain in place until 1920, when it was finally replaced by the Du Pont family with the present iconic fountain designed by Henry Bacon and sculpted by Daniel Chester French, who was also the sculpture of the statue in the Lincoln Memorial. The fountain was formally dedicated the afternoon of May 17, 1921.
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Dedication ceremony of the Dupont Circle Fountain (1921). Photo: LOC
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The freshly installed Fountain in Dupont Circle in 1921. Photo: LOC (colorized by the author)
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Admiral Du Pont's statue left Washington in August 1920 for its new home in Rockford Park in Wilmington, Delaware.
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Du Pont statue in its new home in Wilmington.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons |
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Copyright (c) 2020. Stephen A. Hansen. All Rights Reserved.
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