DuPont Circle Fountain
Encyclopedia
The Samuel Francis DuPont Memorial Fountain by Daniel Chester French
was commissioned by the DuPont family in 1917, installed 1920, and was dedicated on May 17, 1921.
It is located at Dupont Circle
, Washington, D.C.
, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Connecticut Avenue
NW, New Hampshire Avenue
NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW.
The fountain is a contributing monument to the Civil War Monuments in Washington, DC
, of the National Register of Historic Places
.
The inscription reads:
Samuel Francis Dupont - Rear Admiral, United States Navy, 1803-1865
This Memorial Fountain Replaces a Statue Erected by the
Congress of the United States in Recognition of
His Distinguished Services.
On February 25, 1882, Congress
renamed the circle to Dupont Circle
, and authorized a memorial statue of Samuel Francis Du Pont
, in recognition of his service as a rear admiral
during the Civil War. The statue, sculpted by Launt Thompson
, was erected in 1884, and the circle was landscaped with exotic flowers and ornamental trees.
In 1921, the current double-tiered white marble fountain replaced the statue, which was moved to Rockford Park in Wilmington, Delaware
. Daniel Chester French
and architect Henry Bacon
, the co-creators of the Lincoln Memorial
, designed the fountain, which features carvings of three classical nudes symbolizing the sea, the stars and the wind on the fountain's shaft. The marble carving was executed by the Piccirilli Brothers
.
.
on the permanent stone chessboard
s. Tom Murphy
, a homeless championship chess player, is a resident. In 2009, a tug of war
was sponsored by the Washington Project for the Arts
.
The park has also been the location of political rallies, such as those supporting gay rights, those protesting the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, the World Bank
, and the International Monetary Fund
.
In 1999 Thelma Billy was arrested handing out Thanksgiving
dinner to the homeless.
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
was commissioned by the DuPont family in 1917, installed 1920, and was dedicated on May 17, 1921.
It is located at Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue
Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it....
NW, Connecticut Avenue
Connecticut Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Connecticut Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., and suburban Montgomery County, Maryland. It is one of the diagonal avenues radiating from the White House, and the segment south of Florida Avenue was one of the original streets in Pierre Charles...
NW, New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue is a diagonal street in Washington, D.C., beginning at the Kennedy Center and extending northeast for about 5 miles and then continuing into Maryland where it is designated Maryland Route 650. New Hampshire Avenue, however, is not contiguous...
NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW.
The fountain is a contributing monument to the Civil War Monuments in Washington, DC
Civil War Monuments in Washington, DC
Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C. is a group of 18 statues, that are spread out through much of central and northwest Washington, D.C. The statues depict 11 Union generals, and only one Confederate general, Albert Pike, who is depicted as a Mason rather than a military man. Two Union...
, of the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The inscription reads:
Samuel Francis Dupont - Rear Admiral, United States Navy, 1803-1865
This Memorial Fountain Replaces a Statue Erected by the
Congress of the United States in Recognition of
His Distinguished Services.
Original Statue
In 1871, the Army Corps of Engineers began construction of the traffic circle, then called Pacific Circle, as specified in L'Enfant's plan.On February 25, 1882, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
renamed the circle to Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW...
, and authorized a memorial statue of Samuel Francis Du Pont
Samuel Francis du Pont
Samuel Francis Du Pont was an American naval officer who achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family; he was the only member of his generation to use a capital D...
, in recognition of his service as a rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
during the Civil War. The statue, sculpted by Launt Thompson
Launt Thompson
Launt Thompson , American sculptor, born in Abbeyleix, Ireland. Due to the potato famine occurring in Ireland at the time, he emigrated to the United States in 1847 with his widowed mother, and they settled in Albany, New York. There, he found work as a handyman.-Biography:After studying anatomy...
, was erected in 1884, and the circle was landscaped with exotic flowers and ornamental trees.
In 1921, the current double-tiered white marble fountain replaced the statue, which was moved to Rockford Park in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
and architect Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
, the co-creators of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, designed the fountain, which features carvings of three classical nudes symbolizing the sea, the stars and the wind on the fountain's shaft. The marble carving was executed by the Piccirilli Brothers
Piccirilli Brothers
The Piccirilli Brothers were a family of renowned marble carvers who carved a large number of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.-History:In 1888, Giuseppe Piccirilli , a...
.
The fountain today
In the late 1990s the fountain was restored and renovated with work by Constantine SeferlisConstantine Seferlis
Constantine L. Seferlis is acknowledged as a master sculptor and stone carver whose works exemplified a group of public monumental artists in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. Many of these stone masters were immigrants, primarily from southern Europe, including Italy...
.
Events
The park within the circle is a gathering place for those wishing to play chessChess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
on the permanent stone chessboard
Chessboard
A chessboard is the type of checkerboard used in the board game chess, and consists of 64 squares arranged in two alternating colors...
s. Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (chess player)
Tom Murphy is a black, formerly homeless chess player who sleeps and gives chess lessons in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.. He is considered one of the top regular players in the Dupont Circle chess park, and one of the best blitz chess players in the United States of America...
, a homeless championship chess player, is a resident. In 2009, a tug of war
Tug of war
Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...
was sponsored by the Washington Project for the Arts
Washington Project for the Arts
Washington Project for the Arts, founded in 1975, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and aid of artists in the Washington, D.C. area.-History:...
.
The park has also been the location of political rallies, such as those supporting gay rights, those protesting the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, the World Bank
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
, and the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
.
In 1999 Thelma Billy was arrested handing out Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
dinner to the homeless.