John Paul Jones Memorial

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.cite web| last=| first=| title="Biography of John Paul Jones" | work=| publisher=United States Senate| date=| url=http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Sculpture_24_00003.htm| accessdate=2008-05-21] Citation |last=Penczer |first=Peter |year=2008 |title=The Washington National Mall |publisher=Oneonta Press |pages= |isbn=0962984124] 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.Citation |last=Bednar |first=Michael |year=2006 |title=L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D.C. |publisher=JHU Press |pages=67 |isbn=0801883180 |oclc=219305717]

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.

ee also

* Outdoor sculpture in Washington, D.C.

References