The Sam Houston Monument is an outdoor
bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for Casting (metalworking), cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as w ...
of
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
by
Enrico Cerracchio
Enrico Cerracchio (March 14, 1880 – March 20, 1956) was an Italian-born American sculptor and painter. He designed many statues, including the 1925 Sam Houston Monument in Houston, Texas.
Early life
Cerracchio was born on March 14, 1880, in ...
, installed at the northwest corner of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
's
Hermann Park
Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Museum District. The park is located immediately north of the Texas Medical Center and Brays Bayou, east of Rice University, and slightly west of the Third ...
, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
The work is
administered by the City of Houston's Municipal Arts Commission.
Description
The monument was constructed by Enrico Cerracchio in 1924 and dedicated on August 16, 1925.
Modeled on Stephen Seymour Thomas' painting, ''General Sam Houston at San Jacinto''
'','' the
equestrian statue
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...
depicts
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
atop his horse, wearing military attire and a long cape. He has a beard and points with his right arm.
The
bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for Casting (metalworking), cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as w ...
measures approximately x x , and is set on a gray granite
arch
An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it.
Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...
fabricated by
Frank Teich that measures approximately x x with a Lone Star on its
keystone. It is administered by the City of Houston's Municipal Arts Commission.
[
]
Origins
A monument circle in the statue's current location was proposed by landscape architect George Kessler
George Edward Kessler (July 16, 1862 – March 20, 1923) was an American pioneer city planner and landscape architect.
Over the course of his forty-one year career, George E. Kessler completed over 200 projects and prepared plans for 26 comm ...
in his 1916 plan for Hermann Park.
As early as 1917, the Houston Chronicle was gathering money to build one for Sam Houston. Fabrication required $75,000, of which $40,000 was collected by the Women's City Club, $10,000 was provided by city government, and $25,000 was provided by state government. Potential designs were collected after advertising the project in national magazines. Entries were then displayed in a three night exhibition in the Humble Oil Building
The Humble Oil Building, is a historic office building, designed in the Italian Renaissance architecture style, located at 1212 Main Street in Houston, Texas and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed by Humble ...
. The competition was judged by a panel of notable Houstonians, who selected Cerracchio's design.
On August 16, 1925, the monument was unveiled by Sam Houston's great-granddaughter and dedicated by John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby (November 16, 1860 – November 9, 1940) was a businessman whose ventures made him the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he also est ...
. At the time, three of the Sam Houston's own children were alive, and he was still remembered by many elderly Texans.
Restoration
The monument's condition was deemed "treatment urgent" by the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999.
History
Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...
" program in March 1993.
In 1997, the monument was adopted by Bunker Hill Elementary's 5th grade. In 2006, the statue underwent an $18,000 restoration funded entirely by the students. As of 2009, 5th grade students at Bunker Hill Elementary and their corporate sponsors had raised money for the monument each year since 1993 and donated a total of more than $71,000 to the Houston Arts Foundation for its care.
See also
* List of equestrian statues in the United States
This is a list of equestrian statues in the United States.
List
Alabama
Alaska
* Girdwood
**''Mountain Man'', by Frederic Remington, Alyeska Resort cast 1907(?)
Arizona
*Phoenix
** ''Lariat Cowboy'' (1926) unveiled in Phoenix, April 21, 1 ...
* List of public art in Houston
Outdoor sculptures
* '' African Elephant'' (1982)
* Alexander Hodge Memorial
* '' Atropos Key'' (1972), Miller Outdoor Theatre
* Beer Can House
* '' Broken Obelisk'', Rothko Chapel
* '' Brownie'' (1905), Houston Zoo
* '' Bygones'' (1976), Me ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Sam
1925 establishments in Texas
1925 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in Texas
Equestrian statues in Texas
Hermann Park
Monuments and memorials in Texas
Outdoor sculptures in Houston
Sculptures of men in Texas
Statues in Houston
Houston, Sam