Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, (sculpture).

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, (sculpture).

Simmons, Franklin, 1839-1913, sculptor.

Fassett, Francis H., architect.

Fonderia Nelli, founder.

Hawkes Brothers, fabricator.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, (sculpture).

1888. Dedicated Sept. 29, 1888.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite.

Sculpture: approx. H. 7 ft.; Base: approx. 10 ft. x 10 ft. 5 1/2 in. x 13 ft. 3 1/2 in.

(Proper left edge of base, beneath figure's feet:) F SIMMONS SC. (On same bronze edge:) FOND NELL ROMA (Carved on two sides of base, inside decorative wreath:) LONGFELLOW signed Founder's mark appears.

Portrait of a bearded Longfellow, seated with his proper right arm resting on the back of his chair and holding a scroll in his lap in his proper left hand. Three bronze books are placed under his chair.

Portrait male -- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth

Occupation -- Writer -- Poet

Outdoor Sculpture -- Maine -- Portland

Administered by City of Portland, Parks and Recreation, 389 Congress Street, City Hall, Portland, Maine 04101

Located Longfellow Square, Congress & State Streets, Portland, Maine

Commemorates Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was born in Portland in 1807. The memorial is the work of Maine-born sculptor Franklin Simmons. The base was designed by Portland architect Francis H. Fassett and fabricated by Hawkes Brothers. The base was installed in 1888 and was a gift of Payson Tucker. The sculpture was funded by pennies, nickels and dimes donated by New England school children. Donations and fund raising efforts were organized by members of the Longfellow Statue Association. The names of the children who contributed to the $17,171.10 memorial are in a metal container housed in the memorial's base. At the time of unveiling, Longfellow Square was known as State Street Square. The square was renamed as part of the dedication.

IAS files contain related clippings and correspondence from the Maine Historical Society's "Portland Monuments" file, including an article dated July 29, 1888 which details dedication ceremony. IAS files also contain clippings from Portland Evening Express (1966, 1972, 1979) and Portland Press Herald (1981). The sculpture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Maine survey, 1995.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985.

Portland Evening Express (Portland, ME), May 20, 1978, pg. 26.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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