First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark facts for kids
|
First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark
|
|
 Location in Essex County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Newark, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Gutzon Borglum |
| MPS | Public Sculpture in Newark MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001256 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | October 28, 1994 |
The First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark is a marble monument located in Newark, New Jersey. It features a bas-relief (a type of sculpture where figures stick out from a flat surface) and an inscription. The famous sculptor Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941) created it. This monument can be found at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. It was first shown in 1916. In 1994, it was added to both the state and national lists of historic places.
Contents
About the Monument and Its First Home
This monument is one of many created by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum. He wanted to make "art that is real and American." This artwork celebrates the Puritans from Connecticut. They were the ones who founded the city of Newark in 1666.
The monument is a marble stele. A stele is an upright stone slab or pillar. It has a sculpture of two male Pilgrims talking. They are looking over a well or spring. Above them is a narrow frieze. A frieze is a long, narrow band of sculpture. This one shows scenes of Pilgrims in their daily lives.
The stele stands in the middle of a flat, rectangular stone base. At the bottom of the base is a fountain basin. The back of the stele has the names of Newark's founders carved into it. The sculpture is about 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall. It weighs around 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg).
The monument is also known by other names. People sometimes call it the Pilgrim Drinking Fountain. Another name is the Bridge Memorial. It marks a special spot where the Passaic River and an old road met. This place later became the first colonial market. The First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark was first placed in Landing Place Park. This park was near Saybrook Place and the Park Place train station.
Gutzon Borglum's Art and Its History in Newark
The First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark is one of four public artworks by Gutzon Borglum in Newark. Borglum is famous for carving Mount Rushmore. His other works in Newark include:
- Seated Lincoln (made in 1911)
- Indian and the Puritan (made in 1916)
- Wars of America (made in 1926)
All four of these sculptures were recognized as important historical sites. They were added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on September 13, 1994. Then, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 1994. This was part of a larger project called "The Public Sculpture of John de la Mothe Gutzon Borglum, 1911–1926."
Where Did It Go? The Monument's Journey
This sculpture actually went missing for over ten years! When the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) was being built in the 1990s, Saybrook Place was removed. The statue was then moved two blocks north to Lombardy Park.
Later, in 2002, the Newark Light Rail was being built. The monument was moved again. The exact details are not very clear. But it ended up in a city lot used by the Division of Traffic and Signals. There, it was almost forgotten.
Interest in the monument grew when Newark was getting ready to celebrate its 350th anniversary. Money for its repair came from several groups. These included the Essex County Board of Freeholders, the Open Space Trust Fund, and others. The monument was officially put back in its place in 2016. It now stands on a grassy hill near the NJPAC/Center Street station of the Newark Light Rail.
Images for kids
-
Inscription on the back of the stele
See also
In Spanish: Primer grupo de desembarco de los fundadores de Newark para niños
