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Statue of George Washington

The Statue of George Washington, also known as Washington Crossing the Delaware, is a large marble sculpture carved around 1876 by the Italian sculptors Fratelli Gianfranchi. Made from a single block of Carrara marble, it depicts General George Washington in a pose taken from Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. The statue was owned by banker Mahlon Dickerson Eyre and loaned to the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. After later being sold at auction in 1889, it was dedicated in Trenton in 1892. During the 1976 Bicentennial, it was moved to its current location in the Mill Hill neighborhood of Trenton, New Jersey, near the Douglass House.

George Washington marble statue in military attire standing on a pedestal
George Washington marble statue on a pedestal in Trenton, New Jersey.
June 2015 © · Public domain
George Washington statue on a tiered pedestal in front of a brick building, with trees on either side.
George Washington statue on a tiered pedestal beside a brick building in Trenton, New Jersey.
June 2015 © · Public domain
George Washington statue in historical attire standing on a stone pedestal with one foot on a stylized boat.
George Washington statue displayed on a stone pedestal, with a building in the background.
© Mahlon Dickerson Eyre, sculptor · Public domain
George Washington statue wearing a bicorne hat and draped cloak, set within a small carved boat.
George Washington statue in a small carved boat, with trees and a brick wall in the background.
June 2015 © · Public domain
Marble statue of George Washington in period attire and a cape, shown beside a brick building.
George Washington statue in Trenton, shown in profile beside a brick building.
June 2015 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleStatue of George Washington
SubjectGeorge Washington
Alternative titleWashington Crossing the Delaware

Historical context

Date createdcirca 1876

Creator

SculptorsFratelli Gianfranchi, Italian sculptors from Carrara, Italy

Iconography and meaning

Location significanceThe bluff faced the river Washington crossed before his victory at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776
Model for the poseEmanuel Leutze's 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware
Douglass House significanceWashington's headquarters on the night of January 2, 1777, after the Battle of the Assunpink Creek (Second Battle of Trenton)

Physical characteristics

Typelarge marble statue, described as colossal
Height4.3 m

Materials

MaterialCarrara marble
Stone sourcea single block of Carrara marble

Location and ownership

Accompanying buyersEdmund C. Hill and Lewis R. Lawton, Trenton city council members
Buyer at auctionGeorge R. Whitaker
Owner in 1876Mahlon Dickerson Eyre, a Philadelphia banker living in Florence at the time
Original locationCadwalader Park, Trenton, on a bluff facing the Delaware River
Current locationMill Hill neighborhood, Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Exhibited atthe 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, in Fairmount Park

History and restoration

Dedicated asThe Washington Monument
Relocatedduring the 1976 Bicentennial to a plaza near the Douglass House in Trenton's Mill Hill neighborhood
Auction price$300
Unveiled and dedicatedOctober 18, 1892
Pedestalgranite pedestal erected in 1892 by the Junior Order of United American Mechanics
Sold at auctionApril 25, 1889

Appearance

Posestanding in a boat, facing forward, with his right foot on the prow
UniformContinental Army military uniform
Clothingcloak and tricorn hat with a cockade
Swordsheathed sword hanging at his left side
Left handholding the cloak
Right handholding a telescope

Other

Inscription on pedestal"This pedestal was erected by the Jr. O. U. A. M. and presented to the city of Trenton, October 18th, 1892"
Image viewsprofile view; statue with pedestal