Statue of Jacob Leisler

Last updated
Statue of Jacob Leisler
Jacob Leisler statue (New Rochelle, New York).jpg
1913 Statue of Leisler on North Avenue in New Rochelle, New York
USA New York location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Statue of Jacob Leisler
Artist Solon Borglum
Year1913 (1913)
MediumBronze
SubjectJacob Leisler
Dimensions2.7 m× 1.5 m× 0.91 m(9 ft× 5 ft× 3 ft)
LocationNew Rochelle, New York
Coordinates 40°55′59″N73°47′28″W / 40.93296°N 73.79103°W / 40.93296; -73.79103 Coordinates: 40°55′59″N73°47′28″W / 40.93296°N 73.79103°W / 40.93296; -73.79103

The Jacob Leisler Monument is a bronze sculpture created by American artist Solon Borglum and located in the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York. The monument was erected by the Huguenot Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Huguenot Association of New Rochelle [1] to the memory of Jacob Leisler, 17th-century advocate of the Huguenot settlers and said to be the first chief executive of the province of New York to draw his power directly from the people. [2] The unveiling of the statue on June 24, 1913, was the principal event in the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of New Rochelle. [3] The monument, cast by the Roman Bronze Works, is the only existing statue of Leisler.

Contents

Jacob Leisler was German-born and came to North America in 1660 as a soldier in the Dutch West India Company's service. Settling in New Amsterdam (New York), he left the company and prospered in the tobacco and fur trades, becoming a wealthy merchant and being appointed to several public offices in the city, such as justice of the peace and judge. [4] Beginning in 1689, following the English Revolution in 1688 and accession of the Protestant rulers William III and Mary II, he led an insurrection dubbed Leisler's Rebellion, with popular support among the common people, ultimately seizing control of the city and colony from Jacobite officials previously appointed under the deposed King James. [4] He appointed himself as acting Lieutenant Governor of the Province until the governor appointed by William and Mary finally reached New York in March 1691. During this period, he had purchased land from Pelham Manor, reserving a portion to help create the Huguenot settlement of New Rochelle in 1689. He refused to turn over power to a newly appointed lieutenant governor in 1690. [5]

Leisler in 1691 was arrested and tried by his personal and political enemies on charges of felony and treason to William III and Mary II, for refusing to give up power to their appointed Lieutenant Governor before the full governor arrived several months later. He and his son-in-law were both executed. Many thought the trial was unjust. Four years later, Parliament reversed the conviction, clearing Leisler's name and restoring his estate to his heirs. They exonerated the late friend of the Huguenots. [6]

Detail

Due to the fact that no portrait is known to exist of Jacob Leisler, the sculpture depicts a generic male figure of his "type" dressed in period clothing. This includes a long cape, knee breeches, boots, and a hat. In his right hand the figure holds a walking stick and his left arm rests along the top of the stick. The sculpture is installed on a square stone base resting on a circular concrete foundation. [7] The sculpture measures approximately 9 x 5 x 3 feet, with a base of 4 feet 30 inches x 4 feet 30 inches. The foundation is approximately 1 foot in height by 10 feet in diameter.

The inscription reads:

SOLON H. BORGLUM ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N.Y.
(On front of base:)
JACOB LEISLER, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, 1689
(On back of base:)
ERECTED BY

HUGUENOT CHAPTER, DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION, STATE OF NEW YORK AND THE HUGUENOT ASSOCIATION OF NEW ROCHELLE

DEDICATED JUNE 25, 1913
(Around top of circular foundation:)
JACOB LEISLER 1620-1691 DEFENDER OF FREEDOM OF POLITICAL THOUGHT AND SPEECH signed Founder's mark appears.

The same month that the monument was dedicated, a play by William O. Bates was published: Jacob Leisler: A Play of Old New York, portraying the leader in his heroic mode. [4] f>

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gutzon Borglum</span> American sculptor

John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Mountain in Georgia, the statue of Union General Philip Sheridan in Washington, D.C., as well as a bust of Abraham Lincoln which was exhibited in the White House by Theodore Roosevelt and which is now held in the United States Capitol crypt in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Leisler</span>

Jacob Leisler was a German-born colonist who served as a politician in the Province of New York. He gained wealth in New Amsterdam in the fur trade and tobacco business. In what became known as Leisler's Rebellion following the English Revolution of 1688, he took control of the city, and ultimately the entire province, from appointees of deposed King James II, in the name of the Protestant accession of William III and Mary II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leisler's Rebellion</span> Uprising in late-17th century colonial New York

Leisler's Rebellion was an uprising in late-17th century colonial New York in which German American merchant and militia captain Jacob Leisler seized control of the southern portion of the colony and ruled it from 1689 to 1691. The uprising took place in the aftermath of England's Glorious Revolution and the 1689 Boston revolt in the Dominion of New England, which had included New York. The rebellion reflected colonial resentment against the policies of deposed King James II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solon Borglum</span> American sculptor (1868–1922)

Solon Hannibal de la Mothe Borglum was an American sculptor. He is most noted for his depiction of frontier life, and especially his experience with cowboys and native Americans.

Henry Sloughter was briefly colonial governor of New York in 1691. Sloughter was the governor who put down Leisler's Rebellion, which had installed Jacob Leisler as de facto governor in 1689. He died suddenly in July 1691. Lieutenant Governor Richard Ingoldesby, who had served against Leisler's rebels, took over after Sloughter's death until the arrival of Benjamin Fletcher.

Richard Ingoldesby was a British army officer and lieutenant governor of both New Jersey and New York. He became the acting governor for the two colonies from May 1709 to April 1710.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerardus Beekman</span> American politician

Gerardus Willemse Beekman was a wealthy physician, land owner, and colonial governor of the Province of New York.

Louis Thomas Rebisso was an Italian-born American sculptor and teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Post Office (New Rochelle, New York)</span> United States historic place

The main U.S. Post Office in New Rochelle is located at 255 North Avenue, at the intersection of North Avenue and Huguenot St., in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. The facility currently serves the 10801, 10803 and 10805 ZIP Codes, covering portions of New Rochelle and neighboring Pelham and Pelham Manor.

New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing Catholic pogroms in France. Many of the settlers were artisans and craftsmen from the city of La Rochelle, France, thus influencing the choice of the name of "New Rochelle".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1689 Boston revolt</span> 1689 popular uprising in colonial New England against Governor Edmund Andros

The 1689 Boston revolt was a popular uprising on April 18, 1689 against the rule of Sir Edmund Andros, the governor of the Dominion of New England. A well-organized "mob" of provincial militia and citizens formed in the town of Boston, the capital of the dominion, and arrested dominion officials. Members of the Church of England were also taken into custody if they were believed to sympathize with the administration of the dominion. Neither faction sustained casualties during the revolt. Leaders of the former Massachusetts Bay Colony then reclaimed control of the government. In other colonies, members of governments displaced by the dominion were returned to power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equestrian statue of Philip Sheridan</span> Bronze sculpture by Gutzon Borglum

General Philip Sheridan is a bronze sculpture that honors Civil War general Philip Sheridan. The monument was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, best known for his design of Mount Rushmore. Dedicated in 1908, dignitaries in attendance at the unveiling ceremony included President Theodore Roosevelt, members of the President's cabinet, high-ranking military officers and veterans from the Civil War and Spanish–American War. The equestrian statue is located in the center of Sheridan Circle in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The bronze statue, surrounded by a plaza and park, is one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., which were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The sculpture and surrounding park are owned and maintained by the National Park Service, a federal agency of the Interior Department.

<i>Bucky ONeill Monument</i> Spanish–American War memorial

The Bucky O'Neill Monument, also known as the Rough Rider Monument, was created by Solon Borglum and is an equestrian sculpture of Buckey O'Neill and honors a group of men who gallantly served their country during the Spanish–American War in 1898. It is located at Courthouse Plaza, Prescott, Arizona. It was dedicated on July 3, 1907 and was rededicated on June 6, 1982, and again on July 3, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham de Peyster</span> Colonial American politician, Mayor of New York

Abraham de Peyster was the 20th mayor of New York City from 1691 to 1694, and served as Governor of New York, 1700–1701.

Peter Delanoy, who served from 1689 to 1691, was the first and only directly elected Mayor of New York City until 1834. Appointed mayors resumed in the wake of Leisler's Rebellion. He was succeeded by former Mayor John Lawrence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Paine Monument</span> Thomas Paine

The Thomas Paine Monument is a bronze sculpture located in New Rochelle, New York, dedicated to perpetuating the legacy of Founding Father Thomas Paine. The monument stands on North Avenue at the entrance to Paine Avenue, between the Thomas Paine National Historical Association to the north and the property of the Huguenot and Historical Association of New Rochelle to the south. This is the oldest extant memorial to Thomas Paine. The original monument erected in 1839 consisted of just a tapered marble pedestal and decorative cap. A bronze bust of Paine was later added in 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Neck</span>

Davenport Neck is a peninsula in New Rochelle, New York, extending southwesterly from the mainland into Long Island Sound, and running parallel to the main shore. It divides the city's waterfront into two, with New Rochelle Harbor to the south and southwest, and Echo Bay, to the north and northeast. Glen Island and Neptune Island lie just to the west of the Neck, and Davids and Huckleberry islands lie to the south.

William Pinhorne was an American colonial politician and jurist, who served in various capacities in both New York and New Jersey.

Jacob Milborne was an American clerk living in the Province of New York who was an ally, secretary and son-in-law of the rebel Jacob Leisler, served briefly as Attorney General of the province, and was executed for his part in Leisler's Rebellion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equestrian statue of John Brown Gordon</span> Equestrian statue in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

The equestrian statue of John Brown Gordon is a monument on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The monument, an equestrian statue, honors John Brown Gordon, a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War who later become a politician in post-Reconstruction era Georgia. Designed by Solon Borglum, the statue was dedicated in 1907 to large fanfare. The statue has recently become a figure of controversy over Gordon's racist views and associations with the Confederacy, with some calling for its removal.

References

  1. Hadaway, W. S., & Huguenot and Historical Association of New Rochelle, N.Y. (1936). Through Fifty Years: An Account of the Founding and Development of the Huguenot and Historical Association of New Rochelle. New Rochelle, N.Y: The Association.
  2. Davis, Barbara. Images of America - New Rochelle, Arcadia Press
  3. "Statue Preserves Fame of Leisler"; New York Times, 26 June 1913
  4. 1 2 3 "JACOB LEISLER; New Rochelle's Founder Taken as Hero in Drama", NY Times, 29 June 1913, accessed 13 November 2015
  5. Wikisource-logo.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Leisler, Jacob". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 402.
  6. "2008 Heritage Award Properties". New Rochelle Historical and Landmarks Review Board; Retrieved April, 2013
  7. "Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture". Jacob Leisler (sculpture). Smithsonian American Art Museum

Sources