Wade Hampton, (sculpture).

Wade Hampton, (sculpture).

Ruckstull, Frederic Wellington, 1853-1942, sculptor.

Fougerousse, M. J. L., designer.

A. Durenne, founder.

Columbia Stone Company, contractor.

Wade Hampton, (sculpture).

Wade Hampton Equestrian, (sculpture).

General Wade Hampton, (sculpture).

Governor Wade Hampton, (sculpture).

Commissioned 1903. Installed Oct. 31, 1906. Dedicated Nov. 20, 1906. Relocated Oct. 1969.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite.

Sculpture: approx. 15 x 17 x 5 ft.; Base: approx. 10 ft. 9 in. x 17 ft. 5 in. x 7 ft. 10 in. (53 tons).

(On one side of bottom of sculpture:) F. W. RUCKSTUHL (sic), SC. Etabt is/= Metallurgiques. a. Eurenne. Paris. (On front of sculpture:) Commander/of/The Hampton Legion/-/Lieutenant General/C. S. A. (On side of sculpture:) Born/March 28/1818/Died/April 11/1902 (On other side of sculpture:) ERECTED/BY THE STATE OF/SOUTH CAROLINA/AND/ITS CITIZENS (On bottom of front of base on first plaque:) Trevilian (On second plaque:) Seven Pines (On third plaque:) Burgess Mill (On fourth plaque:) First Manassas (On fifth plaque:) Gettysburg (On side of base:) To/Wade Hampton (On other side of base:) Erected A.D. 1906 (On back of base:) Governor of South Carolina/1876-1879/United States Senator/1879-1891 (On bottom of back of base on first plaque:) Benton/Ville (On second plaque:) Brandy/Station (On third plaque:) Sappony/Church (On fourth plaque:) Cold/Harbor (On fifth plaque:) Hawes/Shop signed Founder's mark appears.

Male figure of Wade Hampton sitting erectly on a horse. Hampton's proper right hand is hanging down to his side and holding a hat. His proper left hand is holding the reins of his horse. There is a sword hanging behind Hampton on his proper right side. The horse is walking with his head bent down and facing the proper left. The sculpture is situated on a large rectangular base in the middle of a flower bed. At the bottom of the base are 12 brass or bronze plaques that commemorate the battles in which Wade Hampton fought.

Portrait male -- Hampton, Wade -- Full length

Occupation -- Military -- General

Occupation -- Political -- Governor

Occupation -- Political -- Senator

Outdoor Sculpture -- South Carolina -- Columbia

Administered by State of South Carolina, General Service Administration, Budget and Control Board, Columbia, South Carolina

Located South Carolina State House, In front of Wade Hampton Office Building, Columbia, South Carolina

Wade Hampton (1818-1902) was a Confederate general known as one of the world's greatest cavalry leaders. In his later years he served as governor of South Carolina (1876-1879) and United States senator (1879-1891). When Hampton died in 1902, officials of the State of South Carolina moved quickly to erect a statue in his honor. The cost of the sculpture was $30,000, for which the state appropriated $20,000; the remaining $10,000 was raised through voluntary subscriptions by citizens of the state. The base was designed by M. J. L. Fougerousse, of Paris. Originally, the base had raised bronze lettering, which was removed ca. 1931; the Columbia Stone Company then engraved the inscriptions directly on the base. The sculpture was originally positioned on the northeast side of the State House, but when the grounds were relandscaped, the sculpture was relocated to the front of the Wade Hampton Office Building in October 1969. In the mid-1960s, vandals broke off part of Hampton's sword; it was replaced in December 1984 when the sculpture was restored.

IAS files contain excerpts from a book by Mrs. B. A. C. Emerson, "Historic Southern Monuments," The Neale Publishing Company, 1911, pg. 269-273; "A Guide to Monuments on the State House Grounds," by James L. Haynsworth; and newspaper articles from The State (Columbia, SC), May 21, 1933; March 21, 1936; Aug. 31, 1958; Oct. 16, 1969; May 12, 1974; and the Columbia Record, May 27, 1985. The articles discuss the sculpture's history, including its dedication and relocation. For additional information see: The State (Columbia, SC), June 6, 1964.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, South Carolina survey, 1993.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985.

South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Museum, 1977.

National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, SC5012, 1989.

Monumental News, June, 1905, pg. 426.

"Monuments on the State House Grounds, Columbia, South Carolina," compiled by Inez Watson, Clerk, South Carolina House of Representatives, 1958, fig. 10.

The State (Columbia, SC), May 12, 1974.

"Monuments on the State House Grounds, Columbia, South Carolina," compiled by Inez Watson, Clerk, South Carolina House of Representatives, 1958. fig. 10.

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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