Commodore Richard Dale Monument - Portsmouth, Virginia
Posted by: 
flyingmoose
N 36° 50.292 W 076° 18.242
18S E 383724 N 4077717
Located in the center of Washington Street at the intersection of North Street.
Waymark Code: WM1872D
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/12/2023
Views: 0
A monument dedicated to Richard Dale placed in 1917 by the Fort Nelson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The monument is a stone monument with a high-relief bronze plaque depicting a Liberty figure riding the bow of a ship, protected by two youths looking out over the raging sea. William Couper (1853 – 1942) sculpted the plaque and it was cast at the Henry-Bonnard Foundry in New York, New York. On the reverse side is a small plaque with the following text:
In honor of Commodore Richard Dale, U.S.N., A native of this place. Born November 6, 1756, Died in Philadelphia, PA. Feb. 26, 1826.
Erected by Fort Nelson Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
May 9, 1917
Commodore Richard Dale was a Portsmouth native who went on to a storied and distinguished career in the early U.S. Navy and served as the first commander of Gosport Shipyard in Portsmouth (known today as Norfolk Naval Shipyard). As a young man, he served aboard a merchant vessel and apprenticed with a ship-builder. During the American Revolution, the British captured him twice but he eventually escaped the inhumane conditions at Mill Prison. He returned to serve in the Continental Navy through the conclusion of the war and he became one of the six original Commodores when Congress established a standing U.S. Navy in 1794. Commodore Richard Dale is a very colorful character of American history.
TITLE: Richard Dale Monument
ARTIST(S): Couper, William
DATE: May 9, 1917
MEDIUM: Relief: bronze; Base: granite.
CONTROL NUMBER: IAS VA000234
Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]
PHYSICAL LOCATION:
Located in the center of Washington Street at the intersection of North Street.
DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
Minor weathering.
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