The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-08
HDJDON'S STATUE OF WASHING
10 AND IT'S REPLICA IN
RALEIGH. NORTH CAROLINA.
Katherine Louise Staples, 1909.

The American Revolution had not
long been at an end when the people
OF Virginia, not forgettuI of the low
atty and noble service of the central
figure of the war. wished TO establish
a memorial of his patriotism. This
memorial tool The form of q marble
Statue,-fiondon's statue of Washing
ton. This was copied for the State
Of North Carolina to take the place
of Canova's work Of art. destroyed
with the state House in Raleigh in
1891.
On June -, 1854. a resolution
passed the Virginia House Of Dele
gates, requesting that measures be
taken TO procure d statue of Wash
ington. The resolution was agreed to
tremendously by the Senate. so on
July -, 1884, Benjamin Harrison,
then governor, wrote to Benjamin
Franklin. requesting him to engage an
artist. The letter to Franklin reads
as follows:
Sir: The Assembly Of this State
have voted a statue Of our late worthy
comnlander-in-chief. General Wash
ington, and have directed one side Of
the pedestal to be filled with an in
scription; the other three, with the
dress. are left for the exercise Of the
genius of your humble servant and his
council. who are all too little ac-
Quainted with q business that requires
such a refinement of genius and taste.
to venture anything Of their own TO
the eyes of the critical world.
1T was natural, therefore, for us to
look arOund US for the assistance Of
some Of our friends, and we unani-
noEsly pitched on yourself and Mr..
Jefferson. as the most likely to corne
up to our wishes and the ~expecta-
tons of the Assembly, etc"
After DIR. Franklin and Mr.. JEFF
ferson. then in Paris, were thus com
missioned to select the artist and
make the contract with him. they
chose Mr.. Houdon. who was consid-
cred one of the first scuiptorS of his
time.
We must know Of Houdon that he
was born in Versailles, France. and
became - of the French
Academy. hoTnaS Jefferson wrote to
Washington OF him AND his art: HI
is without riyalship in it. being en-
ployed from all parts of Europe in
whatever is capital" OF his char
acter Jefferson writes: II have spoken
Of him as an artist only. but l can
assure you also that as a man he
Is disinterested. generous, candid. and
painting after glory; in every circum
stance nefiting your good opinion
HOudOn had some trouble in with
drawing himself from an order OF he
Empress of Russia. He wished to
show her respect. and yet he never
heSitated a about accepting
the offer to make the statue Of Wash
ingtUn. which he considered as prom
sing the brightest chapter in his his
tory. His Employment was decided
upon not only because OF his reputa-
ton as the first artist Of France. but
also because he was willing to come
over to America TO take the mode OF
General Washington. Houdon was
paid five thousand dollars for the
statue. He protested against the in
adequacy Of the price and undertook
the work from motives of reputation
alone. Besides the five thousand dol.
Lars the additional costs were twenty.
itye hundred for expenses over. five
hUndred for the expenses of an I'M
deF-WOrHman to come over to set it
up. making the total expenses bou
light thousand dollars.
Mr.. 1lOudon came to America in the
same vessel with DIR. FRANKLIN who
vas returning from his brilliant mis-
SION to France. The artist had the
Misfortune Of having his tools, ma
LrFials, clothes. etc, fail to arrive IN
odVre in time to take with him to
america. This increased his expenses,
anu caused some complications in
money affairs, which were trouble
some to straishten out. Thomas JEFF
4efSon wished to have Mr.. Houdon's
me insured for the time that he was
Insaged by the Eirginians. because as
~ wrote John Adams: I'm case OF
rs death, w his departure from