Philip Reid facts for kids
Philip Reed (born around 1820 – died February 6, 1892) was a very skilled African American craftsman. He worked at the workshops of sculptor Clark Mills. Together, they created important monuments like the 1853 statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington, D.C.. They also made the 1860 statue of George Washington in Washington Circle, and the famous 1863 Statue of Freedom that sits on top of the United States Capitol.
Philip Reed was born into slavery around 1820 in Charleston, South Carolina. He became a free man on April 16, 1862, thanks to the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. After gaining his freedom, he helped install the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol building, which was finished on December 2, 1863. Reed started working for Mills as a young man, around 1842, and was already known for his talent in metal casting. His amazing skills with bronze casting were recognized in the 1860s, after he had worked at the foundry for nearly twenty years.
In 1928, a representative from Tennessee, Finis J. Garrett, spoke about Reed's "faithful service and genius." He highlighted the key role Reed played in casting the Statue of Freedom. A special plaque honoring Philip Reed was put up on April 16, 2014. This date marked 152 years since slavery ended in Washington, D.C. The plaque is in the National Harmony Memorial Park in Hyattsville, Maryland. It says, "Philip Reed The slave who built the Statue of Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol died a free man on February 6, 1892 and is buried here..." In 2013, the Architect of the Capitol called him the "single best known enslaved person associated with the Capitol’s construction history."
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Philip Reed's Early Life
Philip Reed was an enslaved African American from South Carolina. He was born around 1820. He became enslaved to Clark Mills when he was about 22 years old. Reed remained enslaved to Mills for over twenty years. He finally gained his freedom in 1863.
Building the Andrew Jackson Statue (1853)
In 1848, Clark Mills was asked to create a statue of Andrew Jackson on a horse. This statue is now in Lafayette Square, close to the White House in Washington, D.C..
Mills moved to Washington and brought Reed and his other workers with him. They built a temporary workshop south of the White House. Mills, with help from Reed and other workers, made six copies of the horse statue. The casting was finished in 1852. The Architect of the Capitol said they made the "first bronze statue ever cast in America." They did this through "trial and error," meaning they learned as they went. This was an amazing achievement because none of them had formal training. It is believed to be the first horse statue made in America. It might also be the first statue of a horse rearing on two legs without extra support.
Building the George Washington Statue (1860)
The statue of George Washington on a horse cost $60,000 to make. Mills created it in his studio and workshop. President James Buchanan officially dedicated the statue in 1860.
The Statue of Freedom (1863)
The Statue of Freedom was ordered in 1855. The first full-size model was made of plaster by American sculptor Thomas Crawford in Rome, Italy. Sadly, he died suddenly in 1857. A plaster copy was made and split into five large parts. These parts were shipped in separate boxes. Crawford's wife sent the model to Washington so it could be cast in bronze. The boxes arrived in March 1859. An Italian craftsman put the five parts together. It was then shown in the Old Hall of the House, which is now National Statuary Hall.
Because of his success with the horse statues, Clark Mills was chosen to cast Crawford's Statue of Freedom. This happened in May 1860. Jefferson Davis, who was then the Secretary of War, was in charge of public projects like expanding the U.S. Capitol.
The delicate plaster model needed to be taken apart again. It had to be moved from the old House Chamber to Mills' workshop for casting. Mills' son, Fisk, said that the Italian craftsman refused to take it apart. He wanted a big pay raise and a long-term job. He had covered the seams of the sections with plaster. This made them impossible to see. He thought he was the only one who could separate the parts without breaking them.
Philip Reed, however, found a clever way to find the seams. He used an iron ring attached to the statue's head and a system of ropes and pulleys. He gently lifted the huge plaster model just enough to crack the plaster seals at the seams. This allowed him to reach the bolts inside. The statue was successfully separated into its five parts. It was then carefully moved to Mills' workshop.
Mills and his workers started casting the statue in June 1860. They worked at Mills Foundry, a large, octagon-shaped workshop in Maryland. The government rented the workshop for $400 a month. They also provided the materials, fuel, and workers to cast the statue. Because of this, the names of the craftsmen and workers were written down each day. Philip Reed was listed as a "laborer." Mills received the government payment for Reed's work, which was $1.25 a day. However, on Sundays, Reed was paid directly. He was the only worker paid directly by the government for working on 33 Sundays.
Work on Freedom continued even during the American Civil War (1861–1865). On December 2, 1863, the last piece of the famous Statue of Freedom was placed on top of the new Capitol Dome. There was a big celebration and a 35-gun salute.
After Gaining Freedom
On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. This law allowed slave owners in D.C., like Mills, to ask for money for their enslaved people. Mills asked for money for eleven enslaved people, including Philip Reed. In his request, Mills described Reed as "aged 42 years, mullatto [sic] color, short in statue, in good health, not prepossessing in appearance but smart in mind, a good workman in a foundry…" Mills asked for $1,500 for Reed. He said he had paid $1,200 for Reed in 1842 in Charleston, South Carolina. Mills said that even though Reed was young then, he already showed "evident talent for the business" Mills was in. Mills asked for $1,500 for Reed but received only $350.40.
After he became free, Philip changed how his name was spelled. He used "Reed" instead of "Reid," which Mills had used since 1842. This new spelling is seen in official records.
By 1865, Reed had his own business. He was "highly esteemed by all who [knew] him." In 1870, records show that Reed and his wife, Jane, had a two-year-old son. They had married in June 1862.
Recognizing Philip Reed's Contributions
In 1863, after the Statue of Freedom was put on the Capitol, a newspaper writer said something special. They wrote, "The black master-builder lifted the ponderous uncouth masses and bolted them together... till they blended into the majestic 'Freedom'.... Was there a prophecy in that moment when the slave became the artist and with rare poetic justice, reconstructed the beautiful symbol of freedom for America?" The Senate Historical Office later reprinted these words in their tribute to Reed.
In 1928, during the 70th United States Congress, Representative Finis J. Garrett from Tennessee shared a paper. It described Reed as an "intelligent negro," whose "faithful service and genius" helped successfully take apart and handle the Freedom statue.
The Architect of the Capitol called Reed the "single best known enslaved person associated with the Capitol’s construction history."
Burial at National Harmony Memorial Park
A plaque honoring Philip Reed was unveiled at the National Harmony Memorial Park in Hyattsville, Maryland. This happened on April 16, 2014. This date was the 152nd anniversary of Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. The plaque uses the spelling "Reed," which he chose himself after becoming free in 1863.
Reed died on February 6, 1892. He was buried in the Graceland Cemetery in a spot where he could see the Statue of Freedom. This statue was his most famous achievement. His remains were later moved to the Columbian Harmony Cemetery in 1895. In 1959, the D.C. government moved the remains of 37,000 people from the old Harmony Cemetery to the new Harmony National Memorial Park in Maryland.
Images for kids
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Equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C.
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Equestrian statue of George Washington in Washington Circle.
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The Statue of Freedom on top of the U.S. Capitol dome.
