John Paul Jones Memorial

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John Paul Jones statue
John Paul Jones statue

The John Paul Jones Memorial is a monument in the West Potomac Park of Washington, D.C. The memorial honors John Paul Jones, the United States' first naval war hero, father of the United States Navy, the only naval officer to receive a Congressional Gold Medal during the American Revolutionary War, and whose famous quote "I have not yet begun to fight!" was uttered during the Battle of Flamborough Head.[1][2] Built in 1912, the John Paul Jones Memorial was the first monument raised in Potomac Park and is located at the terminus of 17th Street Southwest near Independence Avenue on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin.[3][2]

The memorial consists of a 10-foot (3 m) bronze statue that was sculpted by Charles H. Niehaus and a 15-foot (4.6 m) marble pylon. On each side of the monument, water flows out of stylized dolphins into a small pool. On the rear side of the monument is a bas-relief of Jones raising the United States flag on his ship, the USS Bonhomme Richard. The event is believed to be the first time the United States flag was flown on an American warship.[2]

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[edit] References

  1. ^ "Biography of John Paul Jones". United States Senate. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  2. ^ a b c Penczer, Peter (2008), The Washington National Mall, Oneonta Press, ISBN 0962984124 
  3. ^ Bednar, Michael (2006), L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D.C., JHU Press, pp. 67, ISBN 0801883180