Henry Jackson Ellicott from National Cyclopedia of American Biography 1904

Henry Jackson Ellicott (June 22 or 23, 1847 in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

– February 11, 1901 in Washington, D.C.) was an American sculptor and architectural sculptor, best known for his work on

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

monuments.

Biography

The son of James P. Ellicott and Fannie Adelaide Ince, he attended Rock Hill College School in

Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the mo ...

, and

Gonzaga College High School Gonzaga College High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16 ...

in Washington, D.C. He studied at Georgetown Medical College, and may have served in the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln Statue in Rotunda - 1866 (12088766414)

Abraham Lincoln Statue in Rotunda - 1866 (12088766414)

At age 19, he completed a larger-than-life plaster statue of ''Abraham Lincoln'' – likely an entry in the Lincoln Monument Association's competition for a marble statue – that was exhibited for two years in the

United States Capitol rotunda The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the ...

. The competition was won by sculptor

Lot Flannery Lot Flannery (1836–December 19, 1922) was an Irish-American sculptor from Washington, D.C., best known for his work in 1868 on the ''Abraham Lincoln'' statue located outside the District of Columbia City Hall and the nation's oldest extant m ...

, whose statue is at

District of Columbia City Hall District of Columbia City Hall, also known as "Old City Hall" and the "District of Columbia Courthouse", is a historic building at Judiciary Square in downtown Washington, D.C. facing Indiana Avenue. Originally built for the offices of the govern ...

. The fate of Ellicott's Lincoln statue is unknown. He studied at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...

, 1867–1870, under

William Henry Powell William Henry Powell (February 14, 1823 – October 6, 1879), was an American artist who was born and died in New York City. Powell is known for a painting of the Battle of Lake Erie, of which one copy hangs in the Ohio state capitol building ...

and

Emanuel Leutze Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (May 24, 1816July 18, 1868) was a German-American history painter best known for his 1851 painting '' Washington Crossing the Delaware''. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Biography Leutze was born ...

; and later studied under

Constantino Brumidi Constantino Brumidi (July 26, 1805 – February 19, 1880) was a Greek-Italian-American historical painter, best known and honored for his fresco work, Apotheosis of Washington, in the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Parentage and early life ...

. His first two commissions were for monuments at Mount Calvary Cemetery in

Lothian, Maryland Lothian is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States., 12 miles southwest of Annapolis, 24 miles east of Washington and 31 miles south of Baltimore. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 6,643 people. Public ...

(1870) and Greenwood Cemetery in

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

. He was the likely modeler of an ''Infantryman'' statue for J. W. Fiske Architectural Metals, Inc. of New York City, that was mass-produced and used in numerous municipal Civil War monuments. Company records list the sculptor's name as "Allicot." He moved to

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and modeled architectural sculpture on buildings for the

1876 Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

. He remained in Philadelphia, and exhibited occasionally at the

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. a woman eighteen years his junior. They had no children.

Selected works

*''

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

'', plaster, current whereabout unknown, ca. 1866. Exhibited in

, 1866–1868. *''Goddess of Commerce, Goddess of Protection, Goddess of Mechanism'', zinc, atop New England Mutual Life Insurance Building, Boston, Massachusetts, 1875,

Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee (June 1, 1829 – December 17, 1888) was a Boston architect and a partner in the firm of Bradlee, Winslow & Wetherell. Life Bradlee was born in Boston to Elizabeth Davis and Samuel Bradlee. He married Julia Rebec ...

, architect (demolished 1946). The figure group was once the symbol of the company, but the statues were melted down in a World War II scrap-metal drive. *''

Recording Angel Recording angels are angels in Judaic, Christian, and Islamic angelology. Recording angels are assigned by God with the task of recording the events, actions, and prayers of each individual human. This includes bad sins, and good deeds. Descripti ...

'', atop Thomas P. Duncan Mausoleum,

Union Dale Cemetery Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, 1880,

Theophilus Parsons Chandler, Jr. Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr. (September 7, 1845 – August 16, 1928) was an American architect of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He spent his career at Philadelphia, and is best remembered for his churches and country houses. He fou ...

, architect. *''Bas-relief portrait of

John Sartain John Sartain (October 24, 1808 – October 25, 1897) was an English-born American artist who pioneered mezzotint engraving in the United States. Biography John Sartain was born in London, England. He learned line engraving, and produced several o ...

'', bronze,

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, Washington, D.C., 1891. Carved by Ellicott and William Boyd. *'' Francis Elias Spinner'', bronze, Myers Park,

Herkimer, New York Herkimer is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States, southeast of Utica. It is named after Nicholas Herkimer. The population was 10,175 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village also called Herkimer. Herkimer County Community ...

, 1894. *

Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. A prolific writer and noted public speake ...

Monument, bronze,

North Carolina State Capitol The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and the ...

, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1899–1900.

Civil War monuments

* ''Goddess of Victory'', bronze, atop Soldiers' Monument, Veterans Park,

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

, 1875–76. **Ellicott also modeled the four bronze relief panels on the monument's base. * ''Colonel James Cameron'', granite with brass sword, Civil War Monument, Cameron Park,

Sunbury, Pennsylvania Sunbury is a city and county seat of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Central Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and west ...

, 1879. * ''Infantryman'', bronze, Civil War Monument,

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

, 1881. The ''Sailor'' and ''Cavalry Officer'' figures were modeled by

William Rudolf O'Donovan William Rudolf O'Donovan (March 28, 1844April 20, 1920) was an American sculptor. Biography O'Donovan was born in Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia), and taught himself to sculpt. After the Civil War, in which O'Donovan served in the ...

. * ''Cavalryman'', bronze, 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument,

Gettysburg Battlefield The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the site of the first shot ...

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1887–1889. * ''Kneeling Cavalryman'', bronze, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument,

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1889–90. * '' Equestrian statue of General Winfield Scott Hancock'', bronze, Washington, D.C., 1889–1896. * '' Equestrian statue of General George B. McClellan'', bronze,

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1891–1894.

Portrait busts

George M Dallas by Henry Jackson Ellicott 1893

* ''Vice-President

George M. Dallas George Mifflin Dallas (July 10, 1792 – December 31, 1864) was an American politician and diplomat who served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1828 to 1829, the 11th vice president of the United States from 1845 to 1849, and U.S. Minister to the ...

'', marble,

United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection The United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection is a series of 46 busts in the United States Capitol, each one bearing the likenesses of a vice president of the United States. Each sculpture, from John Adams to Dick Cheney, honors the ...

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

, Washington, D.C., 1893 * ''Rear-Admiral George W. Melville'', bronze,

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

Museum, Annapolis, Maryland"Henry J. Ellicott Buried," ''Washington'', February 1901. * '' George Yost Coffin'' * ''General

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later served ...

'' * ''Senator

Daniel W. Voorhees Daniel Wolsey Voorhees (September 26, 1827April 10, 1897) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Indiana from 1877 to 1897. He was the leader of the History of the United States Dem ...

'' * ''

Samuel H. Kauffmann Samuel Hay Kaufmann (April 30, 1829 – March 15, 1906) was an American newspaper publisher who was the former owner of the ''Washington Star''. He also served as president of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and is credited with helping to expand bo ...

Attributed works

*''Infantryman'', zinc, modeled by "Allicot" (Ellicott?) and mass-produced by J. W. Fiske Architectural Metals, Inc., New York City, from ca. 1875 to 1927. Examples in Saratoga, New York (1875), Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (1878), King Ferry, New York (1882), Arcadia, Missouri (1886), Norwalk, Connecticut (1889), Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts (1890), Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (1891), Pottstown, Pennsylvania (1893), Berlin, New York (1906), Iola, Kansas (1909), and North Kingston, Rhode Island (1912). *''Charles Evans'', bronze,

Charles Evans Cemetery Charles Evans Cemetery is an historic, nonsectarian, garden-style cemetery located in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Charles Evans (1768-1847), a son of Quaker parents and native of Philadelphia who became a prominent attorne ...

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

. The undated statue is signed "ELLICOTT SC." and was cast by

Bureau Brothers Foundry Bureau Brothers Foundry was a foundry established by two French immigrants, Achille and Edouard Bureau, in Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in t ...

in Philadelphia. *''Statuette of Franklin Pierce'', bronzed composition metal, New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire, 1896, height: Likely Ellicott's entry in the 1896 design competition for a statue (unexecuted) for the

New Hampshire State House The New Hampshire State House, located in Concord at 107 North Main Street, is the state capitol building of New Hampshire. The capitol houses the New Hampshire General Court, Governor, and Executive Council. The building was constructed on a ...

.Michael J. Connelly, "The Franklin Pierce Statue Controversy," ''The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era'', vol. 12, no. 2 (April 2013), pp. 234-259. File:PostOfficeSquare Boston 19thc.png, New England Mutual Life Insurance Building, (1875, demolished 1946), Boston, Massachusetts. Statues destroyed, 1945 File:Soldiers Monument Hampden Square.jpg, Soldiers Monument (1875–76), Holyoke, Massachusetts File:2014-07-19-Union-Dale-Cemetery-Duncan-02.jpg, ''Recording Angel'' (1880), Duncan Mausoleum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania File:Soldiers and Sailors Monument - sculpture - Lawrence, MA - DSC03568.JPG, ''Infantryman'' (1881), Civil War Monument, Lawrence, Massachusetts File:Gettysburg mon 1st Penna Cav.JPG, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument (1889–90),

, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania File:2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry monument Gettysburg PA.jpg, 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument (1889), Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania File:Winfield Scott Hancock Memorial - DSC08985.JPG, '' General Winfield Scott Hancock Memorial'' (1889–1896), Washington, D.C. File:Ethnological heads for the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress LCCN90714630.jpg, ''Ethnological Heads'' (1891),

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, Washington, D.C. The 33 keystones were carved by Ellicott and William Boyd. File:Francis E. Spinner statue.jpg, ''Francis E. Spinner'' (1894), Herkimer, New York File:Zebulon Baird Vance by Henry Jackson Ellicott - DSC05835.JPG, Vance Monument (1899-1900),

, Raleigh File:Zebulon Baird Vance by Henry Jackson Ellicott - DSC05832.JPG, Vance Monument relief File:Zebulon Baird Vance by Henry Jackson Ellicott - DSC05833.JPG, Vance Monument relief

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellicott, Henry Jackson 1847 births 1901 deaths People from Annapolis, Maryland People from Ellicott City, Maryland American architectural sculptors Sculptors from Maryland 19th-century American sculptors 19th-century American male artists American male sculptors National Academy of Design alumni Georgetown University School of Medicine alumni Deaths from pneumonia in Washington, D.C.