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Equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney

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Coordinates: 39°44′45″N 75°32′50″W / 39.74595°N 75.54730°W / 39.74595; -75.54730
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Statue of Caesar Rodney
The statue in 2016
Map
ArtistJames E. Kelly
Year1923 (1923)
SubjectCaesar Rodney
LocationWilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Coordinates39°44′45″N 75°32′50″W / 39.74595°N 75.54730°W / 39.74595; -75.54730

A statue of Caesar Rodney was installed in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. The statue was erected in Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington on July 4, 1923. It was designed by New York sculptor James Edward Kelly. The Gorham Company in Rhode Island cast the statue and its two bronze plaques.[1] The memorial was removed in June 2020. It is currently being stored in New Castle, Delaware in a private storage facility. Its plans for future display are currently unclear,[2] and its removal has generated controversy.

Description

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Bronze plaques are affixed to the northwest and southeast sides of the statue's pedestal. One depicts Thomas McKean greeting Rodney in Philadelphia; the other, Rodney casting the deciding vote in favor of American independence.[1] On top of the pedestal Rodney sits astride his horse, which is in full gallop with its front feet in the air, the majority of the statue's weight on the horse's hind legs.[3] To balance the statue, Kelly heavily weighted the horse's tail and positioned Rodney upright and toward the rear of the horse.[4]

History

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Pedestal after the statue was removed for safe keeping
Postcard of the statue

Funds for the statue were raised by the Caesar Rodney Equestrian Statue Executive Committee to commemorate the ride of Rodney from Kent County, Delaware to Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 1 and 2, 1776.[5]

It was removed from public display on June 12, 2020, along with the statue of Christopher Columbus in Wilmington, Delaware in the wake of the protests following the murder of George Floyd. Both statues were temporarily removed after a Dover, Delaware statue honoring law enforcement was vandalized with an axe and urine-soaked Delaware state flags.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b McNinch, Marjorie G. (2000). Wilmington in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0647-0.
  2. ^ "City News | Wilmington, DE". www.wilmingtonde.gov.
  3. ^ DiUlio, Nick (2010-09-10). "The Shapes of Things That Are". Delaware Today. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  4. ^ Williams, Dennis (2015). "A Guide to Rodney Square": 1–16 – via City of Wilmington. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Delaware (1921). At a General Assembly Begun at Dover, in the Delaware State, ... the Following Acts Were Passed ... J. Adams.
  6. ^ Barrish, Cris (June 12, 2020). "Wilmington removing, at least for now, Columbus and Caesar Rodney statues". WHYY. Retrieved 2020-06-13.


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