Reverend Samuel Francis Smith Flagpole - Detroit, Michigan - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

"The Reverend Samuel Francis Smith was born in Boston in 1808. He attended Boston Latin School, the first public school in this nation, and then in 1825, enrolled at his local college, Harvard. He graduated in 1829 and then, the next year, enrolled in Andover Theological Seminary to study for the Baptist ministry. For some years, he served as a minister in Waterville, Maine and taught foreign languages at Waterville College, the institution that was renamed Colby College."

"In the early 1830s, his friend, Lowell Mason, gave him a patriotic song to translate. This was a German tune, written in 1732, and titled, “God Bless our Native Land.” Apparently, Scott was very impressed by both the tune and the patriotic words, so without changing the music, he wrote the words that you see above. America was first sung, according to Scott, at a children’s celebration on July 4, 1832 at Park Street Church in Boston. While its origin is German, the same music was used for the patriotic anthem of the British Royalty, God Save the King (or Queen). This music currently serves as the national anthem of Lichtenstein, and in the past, has been used a national anthem by Denmark, Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland."
"After writing teaching and preaching in Waterville, Maine, Samuel Smith returned to Boston and served as the Secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union. He visited mission sites throughout the world and learned to speak 15 languages. He died at age 97".

This information has been taken from Detroit1701.org

The inscriptions on this flag pole are;
Front

Samuel Francis Smith
Author of
America
The gift of the children of
metropolitan Detroit
sponsored by The Detroit Rotary Club

Back, (first 4 verses of America)

My country tis of thee
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing
Land where my fathers died
Land of the pilgrims pride
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring

My native country thee
Land of the noble free
Thy name I love
I love thy rocks and rills
Thy woods and templed hills
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above

Let music swell the breeze
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedoms song
Let mortal tongues awake
Let all that breathe partake
Let rocks their silence break
The sound prolong

Our fathers God, to Thee
Author of liberty
To Thee we sing
Long may our land be bright
With freedoms holy light
Protect us by Thy might
Great God our King

This flag pole monument is in need of repair. The base is separating and some of the bronze lettering is missing along with some graffiti that needs to be removed.

TITLE: Reverend Samuel Francis Smith Flagpole ARTIST(S): Samuel Adolph Cashwan, sculptor. Albert Kahn, 1869-1942, architect. DATE: Dedicated July 4, 1932 MEDIUM: White Cherokee George marble with bronze lettering CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 78000004 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located Belle Isle, Vista Avenue & Strand Street island, Detroit, Michigan DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: This flag pole monument is in need of repair. The base is separating and some of the bronze lettering is missing along with some graffiti that needs to be removed.

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