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The Thomas Paine Monument is a bronze
The creation of the monument was organized and carried to completion through the efforts of Paine biographer and New York publisher, Gilbert Vale and funded through public subscription. Sculptor and architect John Frazee created the marble monument itself on an 18 x 20 foot plot cut out of the lane and enclosed on three sides by a stone wall, and an iron fence and gate on the fourth. The monument suffered significant damage from vandals and relic hunters between 1839 and 1881. Parts of the inscription were defaced and the square corners of both the base and shaft were broken off. In the latter year the monument was repaired and restored as far as possible, the broken and ragged corners were rounded and parts of the inscription re-cut. This work was done at the instance of the Liberal Club of New York City, after which a re-dedication ceremony was held on May 30, 1881.
The bronze bust of Paine surmounting the original monument was modeled by sculptor Thomas Paine (sculpture)
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The Thomas Paine Monument is a bronze sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...
located in New Rochelle, New York, dedicated to perpetuating the legacy of Founding Father
The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...
. The monument stands on North Avenue at the entrance to Paine Avenue, between the Thomas Paine National Historical Association to the north and the property of the Huguenot and Historical Association of New Rochelle to the south. This is the oldest extant memorial to Thomas Paine. The original monument erected in 1839 consisted of just a tapered marble pedestal and decorative cap. A bronze bust of Paine was later added in 1899.
Detail
The creation of the monument was organized and carried to completion through the efforts of Paine biographer and New York publisher, Gilbert Vale and funded through public subscription. Sculptor and architect John Frazee created the marble monument itself on an 18 x 20 foot plot cut out of the lane and enclosed on three sides by a stone wall, and an iron fence and gate on the fourth. The monument suffered significant damage from vandals and relic hunters between 1839 and 1881. Parts of the inscription were defaced and the square corners of both the base and shaft were broken off. In the latter year the monument was repaired and restored as far as possible, the broken and ragged corners were rounded and parts of the inscription re-cut. This work was done at the instance of the Liberal Club of New York City, after which a re-dedication ceremony was held on May 30, 1881.
The bronze bust of Paine surmounting the original monument was modeled by sculptor James Wilson Alexander MacDonald
James Wilson Alexander MacDonald (August 25, 1824 - August 14, 1908) was an American sculptor.
Life
MacDonald was born on August 25, 1824, in Steubenville, Ohio. He began his career in publishing as a clerk in St. Louis, Missouri in 1841, but q ...
. It was presented to the Thomas Paine Historical Association, and was placed on the capstone of the monument early in 1899. Soon thereafter the widening of North Avenue together with the opening of the present Paine Avenue as a public street over the identical course of the original Davoue and Paine lane, necessitated the removal of the monument from its original position. In 1905 the monument was placed in its present location in the center of Paine Avenue. Up to this time its care had been in the hands of private organizations and the Thomas Paine Historical Association, but on October 14, 1905, the monument was formally presented to and accepted by the City of New Rochelle.
The bust of Paine measures approximately 4 feet x 4 feet x 3 feet and the marble pedestal is approximately 10-1/2 feet x 3 feet 7 inches x 3 feet 7 inches. The monument rests on a base which is approximately 8 inches x 6 feet 7 inches x 6 feet 7 inches in measurement./ref>
References
{{Coord, 40.9345436, -73.7917315, display=title Outdoor sculptures in New York (state) Bronze sculptures in New York (state) History of New Rochelle, New York Cultural depictions of Thomas Paine Vandalized works of art in New York (state) Statues of U.S. Founding Fathers Statues of writers