The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-02-03
The Canova Statue.
Charlotte Observer.

OUseTNtT.
The offer of the Italian governmen
to present to North Carolina a repli.'.
OF the discovered plaster cast OF tie
Canova statue Of " Washington in or
der that a duplicate of the latter NAV
be made il the State so desires hns
brought about much discussion both
in an out OF the State. Among the
papers which have discussed the sub
iect is the Newport News Times Her
aid. which says, in part:
1t is'perhaps not known to all our
readers that North Carolina once had
a noble statue of George Washington
in the Capitol grounds at Raleigh
and that it was purchased. at the
suggestion of Thomas Jefferson of
Virginia it 1916 1t was made by
the Italian sculptor Canova and
transported in a man-ofwar to Will
mington. For years it adorned the
public square in Raleigh, but was
ruined when the Capitol building was
burned in 1881. This will be as an
| other thread in the tie of friendship
| that binds the Old North State and
the Old Dominion. By this act, North
Carolina confesses that Virginia had
at least one something that was
first and farthest."
When the Times-Herald undertakes
| to write about North Carolina affairs
it should more carefully inform itself
on the subject to be discussed. When
it says, speaking of the Canova stat
ue: st is perhaps not known to all
our readers that North Carolina once
had a noble statue of George Wash
ingtion in the Capitol grounds at Raj.
eigh" it shows ignorance of the facts
North Carolina has had for years and
still has a statue of Washington in
the Capitol gounds at Raleigh. 1t is
a bronze statue, standing to the
South of the Capitol building and al
the head of the principal street of the
city-the most conspicuous position
OF the four statues in the Capito
grounds. That statue standing there
today is a rebuke to the Virginia pa
per for it's iibe regarding the pro
posed restoration of the Canova
statue" that "by this act North Car
DINA confesses that Virginia had al
least one something that was frs
and farthest. The two statues o
Washington North Carolina erected
were tributes to him as the nations
chieftain and not Virginia's creates
citizen.
| The CanOva statue referred to b,
the Times-Herald stood in the 70
tunda of the old Capitol and was de
stroyed in 1881 when that buildin;
was burned. When put in place tn
men in charge ofthe work urged tina
rollers be provided in order that i
might be quickly removed in case c
emergency. This would have cos
81, 900. The Legislature failed t.
make the appropriation and the cor
sequence was it's destruction by tn
fire. Had the suggestion been TO
lowed it could have been saved. A
it was heroic efforts were made b.
some citizens to remove it from tn
burning building The head was no
destroyed. 1t was taken away b,
an Englishman who said he coul'
restore the entire figure. but neithe
was ever heard of again. There is
picture of this statue made in 1872;
which represents General Lafayett
and a lady standing by looking a
| it. The lady was Miss Betsy Johl
Haywood, noted North Caroline
belle and beauty of that day who az
companied Lafayette to see the stat
ue in 1925. She was a sister OF tn
late Drs Fabius and Burke Haywoo,
of Raleigh. The original statue cos
| $4,000. 1t can now be reproduce
at cost OF only $4,000 1t was
magnificent work of art by note
artist and the fact that it was c
Grecian style of dress rather than c
the American Of the eighteenth cen
fury should not be urged as a reaso
why the State should not accept tn
offer of the Italian government.