Statue of Rear Admiral Samuel DuPont, Wilmington

The statue of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis DuPont, located at the entrance of Wilmington’s Rockford Park, honors one of the most distinguished naval figures in American history. Originally commissioned by the U.S. Congress and unveiled in 1884, the bronze sculpture was created by Launt Thompson and first installed in Washington, D.C.’s DuPont Circle. Depicting the admiral standing with binoculars in hand, the statue paid tribute to DuPont’s service in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War, as well as his contributions to modernizing the U.S. Navy. However, despite its historical significance, the statue was not well received in the capital.

By the early 20th century, members of the Du Pont family lobbied for its removal, believing the statue failed to reflect the admiral’s stature and legacy adequately. In 1920, they arranged for the monument to be transferred to Wilmington, Delaware-Samuel DuPont’s home state-and placed at Rockford Park’s entrance. The following year, a fountain by Daniel Chester French, featuring “The Sea,” “The Wind,” and “The Stars,” replaced the statue in Washington.

The relocation to Wilmington was not just an act of preservation but a deliberate effort by the Du Pont family to reframe the public memory of Samuel DuPont. Positioned at a key gateway to one of Wilmington’s oldest parks, the statue became a more private, local tribute, less susceptible to national criticism yet firmly rooted in Delaware’s landscape of historic remembrance. Its current setting offers a quieter context in which to appreciate the admiral’s contributions.

Today, the statue serves as a tribute to a naval innovator and a reflection of shifting public memory. While its replacement in DuPont Circle became a major Civil War site, the original remains in Wilmington as a symbol of local heritage.