Jefferson Davis - Montgomery, Alabama
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 32° 22.671 W 086° 18.054
16S E 565762 N 3582533
This statue of Jefferson Davis is located on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol Building in downtown Montgomery, Alabama.
Waymark Code: WMD6B1
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2011
Views: 8
Smithsonian Art Inventory Description: "Standing figure of Jefferson Davis. His suit includes pants, shirt, vest, long coat, and a cape that hangs to his calves. His feet are together. His hands rest on the top of a stone wall that stands hip-high behind him."
As one comes up Dexter Avenue and reaches the marble steps leading to the front of the Capitol, one only has to look to the left side to see this nine foot statue of Jefferson Davis, who was inaugurated as the first president of the Confederate States of America (CSA) on the portico of the building, on February 18, 1861. Montgomery was the first capital of the CSA until it was moved to Richmond, Virginia in May, 1861.
The plaque on the wall behind the statue reads:
JEFFERSON DAVIS
JUNE 3, 1808-DECEMBER 6, 1889
SOLDIER SCHOLAR STATESMAN
A GRADUATE OF WEST POINT
MILITARY ACADEMY. HE SERVED
THE UNITED STATES AS COLONEL
OF MISSISSIPPI VOLUNTEERS.
MEXICAN WAR: MEMBER OF HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATOR,
AND AS SECRETARY OF WAR.
INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF
THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT,
CONFEDERATE STATES OF
AMERICA, FEBRUARY 18, 1861.
Carved on the wall under the plaque:
PRESENTED TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA
BY THE
UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY
NOVEMBER 19, 1940
TITLE: Jefferson Davis
ARTIST(S): Frederick Cleveland, 1881-1950, sculptor. Roman Bronze Works, founder.
DATE: November 19, 1940
MEDIUM: Figure: gilded bronze; Base: granite.
CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 75000112
Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]
PHYSICAL LOCATION:
Located on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol, Bainbridge and Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama.
DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
none
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Visit Instructions:
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