Smyrna times., 1876-03-15
General Description of the Delaware
Centennial Memorial Lamp Post.


in Smyrna, rIarch Sth, 1876:
Friends and citizens of the Diamond
State, 1 am selected by the Centennial
Light Association of the United States to
present to you an object that to one aud
all present tonight should be, and | for
one have not doubt is, worthy OF your
consideration and assistance. Whetner
YOU are child of the old Keystone State
or whether she is child of yours by
adoption is not for me to say, but certainly
the strongest relationship existed between
us up to the year 1891, and it is this family
tie that has forced Delaware boy like my
self to leave family, friends and business, to
call first on arelative and ask illuminationfo for
a spot dear to the heart of every American
patriot. On the Centennial grounds, sur
rounding Memorial Hall, is space for
what? For the grandest cluster of memo
rial bronze statuary known to mankind;
for magnificent fountain, presented by
the District of Columbia alone, and for a
parlot of art, comprising SS superb monu-
greatness of the State which presents them;
these collossals to be embellished by the
medallion heads of our most distinguished
revolutionary heroes, such as Caesar Rodney,
George Read and Thomas McKean from
our own beloved State.
What a history does a sight of these
medallions teach us of these noble old
patriots, whose unselfsh devotion sought
no distinction whose enlightened courage
drew its inspiration from on high, and
whose consecrated blood bathed every
avenue to freedom, until from the turmoil
and sorrows of our ship the goddess of
our liberty arose triumphant in the sun
light of delightful peace.
Here is the Delaware Lamp Post, blue
hens chickens and all:
The pedestal has a square plinth and
base with moulded chamfered corners.
The cove is decorated with grape leaves,
and the torus with peach leaves. From
this base the shaft of the pedestal starts
with two buttresses on each face, set at the
corners with fared base, futed shaft and
foliated caps mounted neck and abacus.
Between the buttresses on each face will be
an arched panel, with a continuous line of
grapes in bnnches set in the internal angle.
Below the band there will be pears hang
ing by the stem from the band and forming
balustrade.
The frieze is decorated by the peach
hanging by stem, which passes through
star set in the planceer of cap. The
crown mould of cap will be arched in the
centre, and will bear the date 1776-lS76
alternately. The top of cap will be beveled
off to receive the medallions of the Signer:
of the Declaration of Independence from
this State-Cesar Rodney, George Read
Thomas Mexican. The entablature above
will contain the Coat of Arms of the State
in high relief-arched over and supported
on each corner by a column. Upon thi
will rest a tooth moulded plinth, bearin;
the figure of farmer taken from Seal o
State) holding in his right hand a cluste
of lamps as shown in the drawing.
The whole pedestal is intended to be
beautiful symbolic representation of Dela
ware-the fruit State.
The figure of the farmer will be life siz
(about feetin height).
The height of the pedestal and figur
will correspond to the original thirteel
States-l3 feet high.
The cluster of lamps will be about fee
in height, making the total height about
feet.
To secure perpetuity, it will be made c
the best bronze metal, polished; and tn
whole workmanship to be such as Wi
entitle It to be ranked as first-class worl
of American Art.
Here is place for the medallions-Rodney
Read and Mexican. This organization
started in Philadelphia, but now extendin
the length and breadth of this Heaver
favored land, society Of refined and cult
vateo individuals who have banded then
selves together for the purpose Of addin
one stupendous feature to the exhibition
one more glorious addition to the lanc
scape, now radiant with the magnifieer
buildings Of Machinery Hall, 1402 feet
length, 300 feet in width; Main Building
1880 feet in length, 2S4 feet in widtl
Art Gallery, S65 feet in length, q
feet in width; Agricultural Hall, 8:
feet in length, 400 feet in widtl
Horticultural Hall, 300 in length, j.
feet in width. In front of these sple
did structures our society propose to ere
superb fountain and lamp-post combine
to be presented by the citizens Of t
District of Columbia, the post to be e.
bellished by the Sc medallion heads of t
signers of the Declaration of Independen
and the whole surmounted by the godd
of liberty finely cast it bronze; and furth
TO place in the vicinity the thirty-eie
Monumental Memorial Lamp Posts, one
represent, as have stated, the products
each State in the Union, the 13 Origin
colonial States, Of which Delaware star
proudly the eighth, and | hope the first
be ornamented by the medallion heads
the signers of the Declaration from I
State. elepanflv chaead and ooet l., k~rx