''William H. English'' is a public artwork by an unknown artist, located in a
niche
Niche may refer to:
Science
*Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development
*Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species
*Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
on the third floor of the
Indiana Statehouse, which is in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
Indiana,
United States of America.
Description
This
marble bust is dedicated to Indiana lawmaker
William H. English.
[Indiana State Museum. ''Bust of William H. English'', ID 99.2006.020.0079. 11 April 2006. Retrieved from Indiana State Museum Mimsy Database 18 November 2010.] The carved inscription on the front of the pedestal reads as follows:
The sculpture is sitting on top of a large pedestal. He is wearing a tuxedo with a bow tie, vest, jacket, and tuxedo shirt. English has a heavy brow, mustache, and beard. His hair is parted to the proper right. He is facing directly forward.
The letters in the inscription on the pedestal are highlighted with gold. The bust rests in a niche with overall dimensions 22 x 24 x 15 in. (with pedestal).
Historical information
William H. English was the Speaker of House, a political civil servant, native of
Lexington, Indiana
Lexington is an unincorporated community in Lexington Township, Scott County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, located about 10 miles west of the Ohio River and 28 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. The town itself was founded before Indiana beca ...
, and the first manager of English's Opera House and Hotel, which was destroyed in 1948 to make way for a
J.C. Penney's department store on
Monument Circle.
He was a key figure in the development and building of the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, located at the center of Indianapolis' Monument Circle. He was a part of the board of commissioners for the erection of the monument.
[Hedges, Charles (1892). ''Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United States''. United States Book Company, p. 211.] He was connected with the first National Bank of Indianapolis and a historian.
William H. English made significant contributions to the development of the city of Indianapolis; the state capitol of Indiana. His birth and death dates are 27 August 1822 – 7 February 1896. This bust may have been placed posthumously.
''William H. English'' is located on the third floor of the Indiana statehouse, directly outside of the entrance to
The General Assembly Hall of the
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...
.
References
External links
Encyclopedia of IndianapolisImages of William H. English (Indianapolis) in Flickr
{{DEFAULTSORT:English, William H., Bust of
English, William H.
Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection
Marble sculptures in the United Kingdom
Sculptures in Indianapolis
Sculptures of men in Indiana