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Commodore John Barry
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites
Commodore John Barry statue in 2015
Location	Franklin Square, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°54′7″N 77°1′54″W / 38.90194°N 77.03167°W / 38.90194; -77.03167
Built	1914
Architect	John Boyle (sculptor) Edward Pearce Casey (architect) Roman Bronze Works (founder)
NRHP reference No.	78000256
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 14, 1978 (American Revolution Statuary)
Designated CP	April 24, 1997 (L'Enfant Plan)
Designated DCIHS	March 3, 1979

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 in fighting for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Barry became the first commission by the Second Continental Congress and He captained several ships during the war, and not only fought in the Continental Navy, but also the Continental Army. He was the first American to capture an enemy ship and was promoted to commodore by President George Washington in 1794. Barry's last ship, the United States, fought in the Quasi-War. He retired in 1801, but remained head of the United States Navy until his death in 1806.

History

Subject

John Barry was born 1745 in Ireland, and later worked as a cabin boy before immigrating to the United States at age 15. Fifteen years later Barry joined citizens from the Thirteen Colonies, who were attempting to fight for their independence in the American Revolutionary War. He joined the Continental Navy and was named captain of the USS Lexington in December 1775, the first commission by the Second Continental Congress. While commanding the ship, he became the first American to capture a Royal Navy ship.

Barry commanded the Lexington for most of 1776. Not only did Barry serve in the Continental Navy, he served in the Continental Army during the cold winter of 1776-1777, successfully fighting the enemy at the Battle of Trenton and Battle of Princeton. In 1777, he commanded the USS Delaware, and was responsible for leading successful attacks on the Royal Navy. In 1778 he commanded the USS Raleigh, which ran aground and repaired for use by British forces. In 1781, Barry commanded the 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 American had won its freedom, President George Washington issued Barry Commission Number 1. He was referred to as commodore from that point. His final ship was the United States which he captained during the Quasi-War with France. He retired after that war, but retained his role as head of the United States Navy until his death in 1806. Barry's contribution to American wars, including being the first American commissioned naval officer, earned him praise and admiration.

Memorial plans

In early 1902, a social club in Washington, D.C., vote unanimously for a memorial to be placed in the city. Michael Francis O'Donoghue, husband of Marian Longfellow O'Donoghue, was an Irish American who was tasked with getting permission from Congress for the memorial. Representative Michael E. Driscoll and Senator Thomas Kearns 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 Representives and the Senate. 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, as well as the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution. At the same time, there were calls for the funding of memorial to John Paul Jones. The bill was modified to include approval of both memorials, allocation $50,000 for each one. It would take until June 8, 1906, for both chambers to pass the bill. A competition open to the public took place in 1908 to find a sculptor for the memorial. After the winning design was rejected, and the top two other 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, 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 from the United States Army Corps of Engineers who lamented the fact "In America, we have the horrid habit of placing an equestrian statue to some war hero or other in the exact centre of every park."

Final approval of the memorial's design occurred in 1911 and a contract was signed with Boyle in November of that year. During the next two years, work began on the sculpture and pedestal. 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 to be the landscape architect, and Roman Bronze Works to be the founder. Meanwhile, work on the John Paul Jones Memorial was completing and the dedication took place in 1912.

In June 1913, a report to the Department of War indicated the model of the statue would soon be completed, and that casting it in bronze would take several months. There was also a request made for the federal government to allocate $2,500 for the memorial dedication ceremony. In December 1913, Irish American groups decided the dedication should be moved to the following year, 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, and Ancient Order of Hibernians, traveled to Mount Vernon in order to see visit Washington's tomb. All Irish Americans were invited to the ceremony on the 16th, and many families with the Barry surname were in attendance. Music during the ceremony was provided by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

The day after the ceremony a large banquet took place with the President and other government officials in attendance.

Later history

Location and design

Location

Design

The inscription reads:
(Base, south face:)

(Base, front:)

COMMODORE UNITED STATES NAVY
BORN COUNTY WEXFORD IRELAND 1745

(Base, east face:)

SCULPTOR
EDWARD P. CASEY

See also

• List of public art in Washington, D.C., Ward 2
• National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
• Outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ "Commodore John Barry, (sculpture)". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
3. ^ Goode, James M. (1974). The outdoor sculpture of Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 280. ISBN 9780087471498.
4. ^ "Plan to Honor Father of Navy". The Washington Herald. March 8, 1914. p. 2. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
5. Gurn, Joseph (2004). Commodore John Barry: Father of the American Navy. P. J. Kennedy & Sons. p. 274.
6. ^ Griffin, Martin I. J. (1902). Commodore John Barry, "the father of the American navy"; the record of his services for our country. Harvard University.
7. ^ O'Brien, Joseph J. (May 17, 1914). "How Barry Statue Had Its Inception". The Washington Herald. p. 8. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
8. ^ "Work on Barry Statue is Showing Progress". The Evening Star. June 16, 1913. p. 10. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
9. Bednar, Michael (2006). L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D.C. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 149–150. ISBN 9780801883187.
10. "Commission Accepts Barry Statue Design". The Evening Star. December 22, 1911. p. 10. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
11. "Commodore John Paul Jones, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
12. "Dedication of Barry Statue Is Deferred". The E. December 2, 1913. p. 3. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
13. "Thousands to Be Invited to Barry Statue Rites". The Washington Times. March 29, 1914. p. 13. Retrieved December 28, 2023.

External links

• Media related to Commodore John Barry by John J. Boyle at Wikimedia Commons

• Historic district contributing properties
• 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.