Numerous monuments decorate the Yard. Some are well-known, like the famous Herndon Monument that plebes try to conquer each year in the Herndon Climb. Some are more obscure, like the Triton Light that sits out by the seawall. Yet all tell a piece of the U.S. Navy’s vast and fascinating history, as eternal tributes to those who have shown bravery in the face of unimaginable strife or adversity. As part of a blog series exploring these intriguing monuments, this post will focus on one of the most well known on the Yard—The Tripoli Monument.
Not only is the Tripoli Monument one of the oldest Annapolis monuments, but it’s one of the oldest military memorials in the country—and the first to honor the U.S. Navy. The Tripoli Monument memorializes six U.S. naval officers who perished in the first Barbary War (also known as the Tripolitan War) in 1804 while battling the Barbary Coast pirates in the dangerous fighting that ravaged the city of Tripoli, one of the Barbary states in North Africa.
This impressive monument pays tribute to our young country’s Navy, which proved its mettle with their first war abroad in battles that became important training grounds for many of our early naval heroes. At the end of the conflict, Captain David Porter mobilized members of the U.S. Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet to collect $3,000 to commission the piece, and he also contributed a good portion of his own money. Artist Giovanni Carlo Micali created the monument in 1806 in Livorno, Italy, and it was transported via the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) as ballast to the Washington Navy Yard on Capitol Hill.
On August 24, 1814, during the Burning of Washington, the Navy Yard was part of a number of areas destroyed by the British in retaliation for an attack on Port Dover in Upper Canada. The Tripoli Monument was desecrated in the turmoil. It was restored in 1831 and placed in a prominent spot at the west terrace of the Capitol, and then later moved to its final home in 1860 in the Preble Hall Courtyard on the Yard, where it became known as “The Naval Monument.” For over 200 years, the towering monument has memorialized our early heroes’ struggles and inspired those who look upon it, even as it was moved from one location to another. Now nestled in a courtyard behind Preble Hall, which is home to the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, the location is perfect, since namesake Commodore Edward Preble was the commander of the American fleet during the Tripolitan War.
The monument was featured in our recent “Fall Scavenger Hunt on the Yard” because there are tons of treasures to discover. These inscriptions, spread throughout the monument, tell the story:
“To the memory of Somers, Caldwell, Decatur, Wadsworth, Dorsey, Israel.
The love of Glory inspired them, Fame has crowned their deeds, History records the event. The Children of Columbia admire and Commerce laments their fall.”
Erected in the memory of Captain Richard Somers, Lieutenant James Caldwell, James Decatur, Henry Wadsworth, Joseph Israel and John Dorsey who fell in the difficult attacks that were made on the City of Tripoli in the Year of our Lord 1804 and in the 28th Year of the independence of the United States.
As a small tribute of respect to their memory and of Admiration of their valour so worthy of imitation, their brother officers have erected this monument.
GioI. Charles Micali Invenio In Livorno 1806”
This hauntingly beautiful monument stands 30 feet tall with a 16 foot base. It was constructed with an Italian Carrara marble column featuring intricately detailed symbolic figures atop a sarcophagus-shaped pedestal. In total, there are 52 blocks of that marble. They were mined from the same spot that furnished some of Michaelangelo’s world-renowned sculptures.
If you have the chance to see it in person, take some time to enjoy the symbolism. With something to see on every side, The Tripoli Monument is full of surprises. A regally wrought eagle crowning the monument has the inscription “E pluribus unum,” or “From many, one,” which is the same phrase inscribed on our pennies. The five allegorical figures named in the inscription come to life: The angelic statue next to the monument signifies “Fame.” Another angel leads two cupid-like figures up the steps as “Glory.” A Native American woman stands in for our new nation as the “Children of Columbia,” or “America,” and another young female figure with a book and pen records “History,” and the part that these naval officers played in this long story. A carefully carved man holds the winged staff of Mercury (which is now missing) as a symbol of “Commerce” to recognize the naval officers’ work to safeguard free trade. The rare presence of the rostral column is an ancient Roman technique that reveres naval heroes, with ships that sail right through it. If you can’t see it in person, you can take in the details here.
Monuments like The Tripoli Monument are true works of art. In addition to having great meaning, they are also beautiful sculptures and structures that evoke appreciation and admiration for their craftsmanship and attention to detail. We are fortunate to have so many inspiring and beautiful monuments on the Yard. We’ll continue our exploration in this series, and we encourage you to experience them in person. Every time you visit the Yard, take one of our fascinating tours, dine in our restaurants and shop in our shops, you’re also supporting the midshipmen who support our freedoms. All profits go right back to the Brigade. Make us part of your Annapolis sightseeing trip. Come see how monumental these monuments are, and be a part of our history in the making every day.