Henry Jackson Ellicott (June 22 or 23, 1847, in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

– February 11, 1901, in

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 ...

) was an American sculptor and

architectural sculptor Architectural sculpture is the use of sculptural techniques by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, mausoleum or other such project. The sculpture is usually integrated with the structure, but freestanding works that a ...

, best known for his work on

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

monuments.

Biography

The son of James P. Ellicott and Fannie Adelaide Ince, he attended Rock Hill College School in

Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its ...

, and

Gonzaga College High School Gonzaga College High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the ...

in Washington, D.C. He studied at Georgetown Medical College, and may have served in the Civil War. At age 19, he completed a larger-than-life plaster statue of ''Abraham Lincoln'' – likely an entry in the Lincoln Monument Association's competition for a marble statue – that was exhibited for two years in the

United States Capitol rotunda The United States Capitol building features a central rotunda below the Capitol dome. Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". The rotunda is connected by corridors leading so ...

. The competition was won by sculptor

Lot Flannery Lot Flannery (1836–December 19, 1922) was an Irish-American sculptor from Washington, D.C., best known for his work in 1868 on the ''Abraham Lincoln'' statue located outside the District of Columbia City Hall and the nation's oldest extant m ...

, whose statue is at

District of Columbia City Hall District of Columbia City Hall, also known as Old City Hall and the District of Columbia Courthouse, is a historic building at Judiciary Square in downtown Washington, D.C. facing Indiana Avenue. Originally built for the offices of the governmen ...

. The fate of Ellicott's Lincoln statue is unknown. He studied at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

, 1867–1870, under

William Henry Powell William Henry Powell (February 14, 1823 – October 6, 1879), was an American artist who was born and died in New York City. Powell is known for a painting of the Battle of Lake Erie, of which one copy hangs in the Ohio state capitol building ...

and

Emanuel Leutze Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (May 24, 1816July 18, 1868) was a German-born American history painter, best known for his 1851 painting '' Washington Crossing the Delaware''. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Biography Leutze w ...

; and later studied under

Constantino Brumidi Constantino Brumidi (26 July 1805 – 19 February 1880) was a Greek-Italian painter and a Naturalization, naturalized American citizen, best known and honored for his fresco work, ''The Apotheosis of Washington, Apotheosis of Washington'', in the ...

. His first two commissions were for monuments at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Lothian, Maryland (1870) and Greenwood Cemetery in

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River, in northern Prince George's County. Its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town i ...

. He was the likely modeler of an ''Infantryman'' statue for J. W. Fiske Architectural Metals, Inc. of New York City, that was mass-produced and used in numerous municipal Civil War monuments. Company records list the sculptor's name as "Allicot." He moved to

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and modeled architectural sculpture on buildings for the

1876 Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...

. He remained in Philadelphia, and exhibited occasionally at the

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1805, it is the longest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States. The academy's museum ...

between 1878 and 1891. Ellicott was appointed Superintendent and Chief Modeler for the U.S. Treasury Department in 1889, responsible for all federal monuments. He moved to Washington, D.C. He died on February 11, 1901, in Washington, D.C. He was buried at

Rock Creek Cemetery Rock Creek Cemetery is an cemetery with a natural and rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE, in the Petworth (Washington, D.C.), Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., across ...

Personal

In 1883, he married Lida Dyre, of Maryland, a woman eighteen years his junior. They had no children.

Selected works

*''

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

'', plaster, current whereabout unknown, ca. 1866. Exhibited in

, 1866–1868. *''Goddess of Commerce, Goddess of Protection, Goddess of Mechanism'', zinc, atop New England Mutual Life Insurance Building,

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 1875,

Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee (June 1, 1829 – December 17, 1888) was a Boston architect and a partner in the firm of Bradlee, Winslow & Wetherell. Life Bradlee was born in Boston to Elizabeth Davis and Samuel Bradlee. He married Julia Rebecc ...

, architect (demolished 1946). The figure group was once the symbol of the company, but the statues were melted down in a World War II scrap-metal drive. *''

Recording Angel Recording angels are angels in Judaic, Christian, and Islamic angelology. Recording angels are assigned by God with the task of recording the events, actions, and prayers of each individual human. These include bad sins and good deeds. Descrip ...

'', atop Thomas P. Duncan Mausoleum, Union Dale Cemetery,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, 1880, Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr., architect. *''Bas-relief portrait of

John Sartain John Sartain (October 24, 1808 – October 25, 1897) was an English-born American artist who pioneered mezzotint engraving in the United States. Biography John Sartain was born in London, England. He learned line engraving, and produced several o ...

'', bronze,

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ca. 1888 *Architectural sculpture: 33 Keystones (Ethnological Heads), granite,

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

, Washington, D.C., 1891. Carved by Ellicott and William Boyd. *'' Francis Elias Spinner'', bronze, Myers Park,

Herkimer, New York Herkimer is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Herkimer County, New York, United States, southeast of Utica, New York, Utica. It is named after Nicholas Herkimer. The population was 9,566 at the 2020 census, down from 10,175 in ...

, 1894. *

Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil ...

Monument, bronze,

North Carolina State Capitol The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and th ...

, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1899–1900.

Civil War monuments

* ''Goddess of Victory'', bronze, atop Soldiers' Monument, Veterans Park,

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,247. Loca ...

, 1875–76. **Ellicott also modeled the four bronze relief panels on the monument's base. * ''Colonel James Cameron'', granite with brass sword, Civil War Monument, Cameron Park,

Sunbury, Pennsylvania Sunbury ( ) is a city and the county seat of Northumberland County in Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Susquehanna Valley, Sunbury is positioned on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. Sunbury's roots stretch back to the early ...

, 1879. * ''Infantryman'', bronze, Civil War Monument,

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen, Massachusetts, Methuen ...

, 1881. The ''Sailor'' and ''Cavalry Officer'' figures were modeled by

William Rudolf O'Donovan William Rudolf O'Donovan (March 28, 1844April 20, 1920) was an American sculptor. Biography O'Donovan was born in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia), and taught himself to sculpt. After the Civil War, in which O'Donovan served in the ...

. * ''Cavalryman'', bronze, 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument,

Gettysburg Battlefield The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the site of the first shot & at Knoxlyn Ridge ...

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1887–1889. * ''Kneeling Cavalryman'', bronze, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument,

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1889–90. * '' Equestrian statue of General Winfield Scott Hancock'', bronze, Washington, D.C., 1889–1896. * '' Equestrian statue of General George B. McClellan'', bronze,

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1891–1894.

Portrait busts

George M Dallas by Henry Jackson Ellicott 1893

* ''Vice-President George M. Dallas'', marble,

United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection The United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection is a series of 46 busts in the United States Capitol, each one bearing the likenesses of a vice president of the United States. Each sculpture, from John Adams to Dick Cheney, honors th ...

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

, Washington, D.C., 1893 * ''Rear-Admiral George W. Melville'', bronze,

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

Museum, Annapolis, Maryland"Henry J. Ellicott Buried," ''Washington'', February 1901. * '' George Yost Coffin'' * ''General

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (; September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later serve ...

'' * ''Senator

Daniel W. Voorhees Daniel Wolsey Voorhees (September 26, 1827April 10, 1897) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Indiana from 1877 to 1897. He was the leader of the Democratic Party and an anti-war Copperhead during ...

'' * '' Samuel H. Kauffmann''

Attributed works

*''Infantryman'', zinc, modeled by "Allicot" (Ellicott?) and mass-produced by J. W. Fiske Architectural Metals, Inc., New York City, from ca. 1875 to 1927. Examples in Saratoga, New York (1875), Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (1878), King Ferry, New York (1882), Arcadia, Missouri (1886), Norwalk, Connecticut (1889), Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts (1890), Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (1891), Pottstown, Pennsylvania (1893), Berlin, New York (1906), Iola, Kansas (1909), and North Kingston, Rhode Island (1912). *''Charles Evans'', bronze,

Charles Evans Cemetery Charles Evans Cemetery is a historic, nonsectarian, garden-style cemetery located in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Charles Evans (1768-1847), a son of Quaker parents and native of Philadelphia who became a prominent attorne ...

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...

. The undated statue is signed "ELLICOTT SC." and was cast by

Bureau Brothers Foundry Bureau Brothers Foundry was a foundry established by two French immigrants, Achille and Edouard Bureau, in Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city i ...

in Philadelphia. *''Statuette of Franklin Pierce'', bronzed composition metal, New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire, 1896, height: Likely Ellicott's entry in the 1896 design competition for a statue (unexecuted) for the

New Hampshire State House The New Hampshire State House, located in Concord at 107 North Main Street, is the state capitol building of New Hampshire. The capitol houses the New Hampshire General Court, Governor, and Executive Council. The building was constructed o ...

.Michael J. Connelly, "The Franklin Pierce Statue Controversy," ''The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era'', vol. 12, no. 2 (April 2013), pp. 234-259. File:PostOfficeSquare Boston 19thc.png, New England Mutual Life Insurance Building, (1875, demolished 1946), Boston, Massachusetts. Statues destroyed, 1945 File:Soldiers Monument Hampden Square.jpg, Soldiers Monument (1875–76), Holyoke, Massachusetts File:2014-07-19-Union-Dale-Cemetery-Duncan-02.jpg, ''Recording Angel'' (1880), Duncan Mausoleum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania File:Soldiers and Sailors Monument - sculpture - Lawrence, MA - DSC03568.JPG, ''Infantryman'' (1881), Civil War Monument, Lawrence, Massachusetts File:Gettysburg mon 1st Penna Cav.JPG, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument (1889–90),

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania File:2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry monument Gettysburg PA.jpg, 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument (1889), Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania File:Winfield Scott Hancock Memorial - DSC08985.JPG, '' General Winfield Scott Hancock Memorial'' (1889–1896), Washington, D.C. File:Ethnological heads for the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress LCCN90714630.jpg, ''Ethnological Heads'' (1891),

, Washington, D.C. The 33 keystones were carved by Ellicott and William Boyd. File:Francis E. Spinner statue.jpg, ''Francis E. Spinner'' (1894), Herkimer, New York File:Zebulon Baird Vance by Henry Jackson Ellicott - DSC05835.JPG, Vance Monument (1899-1900),

, Raleigh File:Zebulon Baird Vance by Henry Jackson Ellicott - DSC05832.JPG, Vance Monument relief File:Zebulon Baird Vance by Henry Jackson Ellicott - DSC05833.JPG, Vance Monument relief

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellicott, Henry Jackson 1847 births 1901 deaths People from Annapolis, Maryland People from Ellicott City, Maryland American architectural sculptors Sculptors from Maryland 19th-century American sculptors 19th-century American male artists American male sculptors National Academy of Design alumni Georgetown University School of Medicine alumni Deaths from pneumonia in Washington, D.C. Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery