The Puritan (Deacon Samuel Chapin) - Springfield, MA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

In 1881, Chester W. Chapin, a railroad tycoon and congressman, commissioned the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens create a bronze likeness of his ancestor, Deacon Samuel Chapin (1595–1675), one of the three founders of Springfield, MA.

The statue was so popular with the public that Saint-Gaudens decided to produce smaller scale versions of this work under the title "The Puritan". He correctly surmised that this would be an excellent source of addition income. Today more than 25 slightly altered copies of this work can be found in museums, art galleries, universities, and private collections around the world.

This impressive sculpture of the The Puritan can be found outside the main Springfield Library in Merrick Park on the northeast corner of State and Chestnut Streets. The architect for the project was Stanford White, the statue was cast in bronze at the Bureau Brothers foundry and dedicated on November 27, 1887. The sculpture is approximately 12 feet high; The base is made of New Brunswick granite and is approximately 5 feet high and 6 feet in diameter. The sculpture is administered by City of Springfield.

The base is inscribed:

1595 Anno Domini 1675
Deacon Samuel Chapin
One Of The Founders Of Springfield

The Puritan is listed on the Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Control Number: IAS 77000790

Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory
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TITLE: The Puritan (Deacon Samuel Chapin) ARTIST(S): sculptor - Augustus Saint-Gaudens; architect - Stanford White; foundry - Bureau Brothers DATE: November 27, 1887 MEDIUM: Bronze CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 77000790 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Merrick Park State and Chestnut Streets Springfield, MA 01109 DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: Merrick Park is on the northeast corner of State and Chestnut Streets

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Date Logged Log   06/26/2010 Metro2 visited it