The statue of John Barry commemorates the "Father of the United States Navy", Commodore John Barry (1745–1806). Barry was an Irish-born sailor who joined the American

colonists A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among the first settli ...

in the fight for independence from the

Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...

. Barry became the first officee to be commissioned by the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) was the meetings of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, which established American independence ...

. He captained several ships during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, and fought not only in the

Continental Navy The Continental Navy was the navy of the United Colonies and United States from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the American Revolutionary ...

, but also in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

as well. He was the first American to capture an enemy ship and was promoted to

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

by President

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

in 1794. Barry's last ship, the ''United States'', fought in the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

. He retired in 1801, but remained head of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

until his death in 1806. Plans to build a memorial to Barry began in 1902. With assistance from members of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, a bill to install the memorial and the allocation of $50,000 () to pay for it was approved in 1906. The National Commodore John Barry Statue Commission included government officials, veterans, and many

Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

groups. The person who won the commission to create the sculpture was John J. Boyle. Work on the sculpture and pedestal took place from 1911 to 1913. A dedication ceremony for the memorial took place in 1914, and included a large parade through

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Over 10,000 people, including President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

, members of Congress, military leaders, and

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

justices, attended the ceremony. The unveiling of the statue was done by one of Barry's descendants. The bronze statue of Barry is located at the western edge of Franklin Square in downtown Washington, D.C. Barry is portrayed wearing a military uniform while his right hand is holding scrolls and resting on a sword. The female allegorical statue on the front of the pedestal represents Victory. She is holding a laurel wreath as an eagle rests below her right arm. The memorial is one of fourteen

statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size. A sculpture ...

listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP) and the

District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites The District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites is a register of historic places in Washington, D.C. that are designated by the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), a component of the District of Columbia Govern ...

in 1978 and 1979, respectively. The memorial is also a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

to the

L'Enfant Plan The L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington, D.C. is the urban plan developed in 1791 by Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant for George Washington, the first president of the United States. It is regarded as a landmark in urban design and h ...

, listed on the NRHP in 1997.

History

Barry's biography

John Barry was born 1745 in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, and later worked as a

cabin boy A cabin boy or ship's boy is a boy or young man who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship, especially running errands for the captain. The modern merchant navy successor to the cabin boy is the steward's assistant. Duties Cabin boys ...

before immigrating to the British colonies in America at age 15. Fifteen years later, as the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America. The Thirteen C ...

began fighting for their independence in the

, he joined the

. Barry was named captain of in December 1775, the first commission by the

. While commanding the ship, he became the first American to capture a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

ship. Barry commanded ''Lexington'' for most of 1776. Not only did Barry serve in the Continental Navy, he also served in the

during the winter of 1776–1777, successfully fighting the enemy at the

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington's George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, crossing of the ...

and

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comma ...

. In 1777, he commanded , and was responsible for leading successful attacks on the Royal Navy. In 1778, he commanded the , which ran aground and was repaired for use by British forces. In 1781, Barry commanded USS ''Alliance'' during a successful battle with the Royal Navy. He was seriously injured in the process, but it was the final naval battle of the war. After the war ended and America had won its freedom, President

issued Barry Commission Number 1. He was referred to as

from that point. His final ship was the ''United States'' which he captained during the

with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He retired after that war, but retained his role as head of the

until his death in 1803. Barry's contribution to American wars, including being the first American commissioned naval officer, earned him praise and admiration. He is referred to as the "Father of the United States Navy".

Memorial plans

In early 1902, a social club in

, voted unanimously for a memorial to be placed in the city. Michael Francis O'Donoghue, husband of Marian Longfellow O'Donoghue, was an

who was tasked with getting permission from

for the memorial. Representative Michael E. Driscoll and Senator

Thomas Kearns Thomas Kearns (April 11, 1862 – October 18, 1918) was an American mining, banking, railroad, and newspaper magnate. He was a US Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905. Unlike the predominantly Mormon constituents of his state, Senator Kearns was ...

agreed to introduce a bill in Congress that would result in the erection of the memorial. The first bill was written by O'Donoghue and was introduced in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

and the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. With assistance from Senator Henry C. Hansbrough, the bill passed the Senate with an appropriation of $25,000 () for the memorial to be built. Senator George P. Wetmore later increased the funding to $50,000 (). Later that year, the National Commodore John Barry Statue Commission was formed, which included members of Congress and the public. The plan for a memorial was supported by Irish organizations including the

Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is in the United States, where it was founded in New Yo ...

, as well as the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

and the

Sons of the American Revolution The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...

. At the same time, there were calls for the funding of a memorial to

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

. The bill was modified to include approval of both memorials, allocating $50,000 for each one. After passing both chambers of Congress, the bill was signed into law by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

on June 8, 1906. A competition between 25 Irish American artists took place in 1908 to find a sculptor for the memorial. After the winning design was rejected and the other top two finalists were eliminated, the person chosen to sculpt the statue was Irish-American John Boyle, a choice hailed by Irish groups. After the design was approved in 1911, the committee in charge of the memorial chose Franklin Square as the place where the memorial would be installed. After numerous ideas were suggested for its location in the park, it was decided the memorial would stand in the center of the western edge of the park. One person who supported its location was landscape architect

George Burnap George Elberton Burnap (December 28, 1885 – June 17, 1938) was an American landscape architect. Born in Massachusetts, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University before being appointed lead architect in the Offi ...

from the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

who lamented the fact that "In America, we have the horrid habit of placing an equestrian statue to some war hero or other in the exact centre 'sic''of every park." Final approval of the memorial's design occurred in 1911 and a contract was signed with Boyle in November that year. The model was completed in 1911 and the casting in 1913. In addition to Boyle, Edward Pearce Casey was selected to be the memorial's architect, Irving W. Payne and Burnap to be the landscape architects, and

Roman Bronze Works Roman Bronze Works, now operated as Roman Bronze Studios, is a bronze foundry in New York City. Established in 1897 by Riccardo Bertelli, it was the first American foundry to specialize in the lost-wax casting method, and was the country's pre-emin ...

to be the

founder Founder or Founders may refer to: Places *Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium * Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...

. A report in 1913 to the Department of War indicated the model of the statue would be completed by Spring 1914, and that casting it in bronze would take several months. There was also an appropriations bill made for the federal government to allocate $2,500 for the memorial dedication ceremony. In December 1913, the memorial's foundation, base, and a surrounding plaza were completed. Irish American groups postponed the dedication until May 1914, mostly because it would allow them to properly prepare for the ceremony.

Dedication

The day before the dedication ceremony on May 16, 1914, thousands of members from Irish organizations including the Irish Fellowship Club,

American Irish Historical Society The American Irish Historical Society (AIHS) is a historical society devoted to Irish American history that was founded in Boston in the late 19th century. Non-partisan and non-sectarian since its inception in 1897, it maintains the most compl ...

, and Ancient Order of Hibernians, planned to travel to

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

in order to visit Washington's tomb. All Irish Americans were invited to the ceremony on the 16th, and many families with the Barry surname planned to attend. Approximately 10,000 people traveled to Washington, D.C. for the event, many coming by train. Before the ceremony began, there was a parade leading to the memorial, and many buildings along the way were decorated with

U.S. flags The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...

and green flags depicting the harp of Erin. Amongst those who marched in the parade were Irish American organization members, including the

Friendly Sons of St. Patrick The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick/Friends Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick, officially The Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, is an American charitable and social organization for Irish Americans ...

, and active and retired members of the military, including a contingent of veterans. The parade began at

18th Street NW 18th Street Northwest is a prominent north–south street thoroughfare in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. History The "18th Street" roadway was part of the 1791 L'Enfant Plan for Washington by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. In the presen ...

and

Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...

, and after passing Lafayette Square, turned north on

Madison Place Madison Place is a one-block street located in northwest Washington, D.C., across from the White House. It forms the eastern border of Lafayette Square (the northernmost part of President's Park) between Pennsylvania Avenue and H Street NW. ...

to Vermont Avenue. The parade then walked north to I Street and traveled to 14th Street, reaching Franklin Square. After walking past the review stand, the parade ended a few blocks north at

Thomas Circle Thomas Circle is a traffic circle in Northwest Washington, D.C., United States. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street, M Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Vermont Avenue NW. A portion of Massachusetts Avenue travels through a tunne ...

. Prominent people in attendance included President

and some of his

cabinet members This is a list of the offices of heads of state, heads of government, cabinet, and legislature, of sovereign states A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood th ...

, and

justices. Members of the U.S. military, including the army and navy, were also in attendance. The

and

recessed at 2pm so that members could attend. Music during the ceremony was provided by the

United States Marine Band The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the ...

. The invocation was given by Bishop Alfred Harding. This was followed by a speech from Representative

James A. Hamill James Alphonsus Hamill (March 30, 1877 – December 15, 1941) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician. He served as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 10th congressional district from 1907 to 1913 and 12th distri ...

who listed Barry's achievements. The Marine Band played additional music before a speech was made by Asa Bird Gardiner, secretary general of the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a lineage society, fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of milita ...

, who paid tribute not only to Barry, but other military heroes of the Revolutionary War. The unveiling was done by Elise H. Hepburne, a descendant of Barry, while the Marine Band played

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...

. President Wilson then gave a brief speech praising Barry. The day after the ceremony, a large banquet took place at the

Willard Hotel The Willard InterContinental Washington, commonly known as the Willard Hotel, is a historic luxury Beaux-Arts hotel located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Downtown Washington, D.C. It is currently a member of Historic Hotels of America, th ...

with the President and other government officials in attendance.

Later history

For many years officials from the

Department of the Navy Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DON) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. It was esta ...

would lay wreaths at the city's navy memorials on

Navy Day Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. By country Argentina The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 against the Spanish fleet in the action of 14 ...

, a practice that ended in 1949 when

Armed Forces Day An Armed Forces Day, alongside its Military branch, branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the Military, armed forces, o ...

was established. On

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...

members of the local Irish War Veterans group would also lay wreaths at the memorial. On July 14, 1978, a group of fourteen

American Revolution Statuary American Revolution Statuary is a group of fourteen statues in Washington, D.C., which honor men whose actions assisted the Thirteen Colonies in their fight against the Kingdom of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War. The statues are s ...

, including the Barry memorial, was listed on the

(NRHP). The following year on March 3, 1979, the group was added to the

. On April 24, 1997, the memorial was included as a

to the

, added to the NRHP on April 24, 1997.

Location and design

The memorial is located on the western edge of Franklin Square, facing 14th Street, and between I and K Streets NW. It is centered in a rectangular marble plaza, with a marble bench and small iron fence behind the memorial. Marble steps connect the plaza to the sidewalk along 14th Street. The statue of Barry is approximately tall and made of bronze. He is depicted wearing his military uniforms of the Navy and Army, including a large cloak and a three-cornered hat. His left arm is reclined by his side and his right hand is holding a stack of papers resting on a sword. His left leg stands further out than the right, giving the appearance of him walking. The pedestal is approximately tall and wide. It is made of

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

pink marble while the base steps are made of pink granite. On the front of the pedestal is an allegorical female figure representing Victory which is also made of Knoxville pink marble. Her right arm is raised, holding a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

, while an eagle rests under the arm. Her left hand is resting on the top of a sword. She has long hair that rests on her shoulders. Her outfit consists of a long robe which is tied at the chest and the waist. The inscription on the memorial reads:
(Pedestal, west face:)
J.J. BOYLE
(Base, front:)
JOHN BARRY
COMMODORE UNITED STATES NAVY
BORN COUNTY WEXFORD IRELAND 1745
DIED IN PHILADELPHIA 1803
(Base, right:)
JOHN J. BOYLE
SCULPTOR
EDWARD P. CASEY
ARCHITECT

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, John 1914 establishments in Washington, D.C. 1914 sculptures American Revolution Statuary Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C. District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites Downtown (Washington, D.C.) Historic district contributing properties in Washington, D.C. Sculptures by John J. Boyle