Bust of Richard Somers Arrives at the Point

                                               Bust of Richard Somers arrives at Somers Point. NJ

 Thanks to
(35) “Get to the Point”- Somers Point, NJ
for sharing this photo and to Sally Hastings and the Somers Point Historical Society for taking the lead in designing and creating this magnificent, life-like bust.

Hopefully it will be part of the monument that becomes his grave.

Richard Somers Monument Moving Ahead

A 36-inch tall, 400-pound bronze bust of Barbary War hero Richard Somers recently arrived at the Somers Point Historical Society

From Atlantic City Weekly  

By Ray Schweibert

http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/arts-and-entertainment/features/Richard-Somers-Monument-Moving-Ahead-199220051.html

SOMERS POINT, N.J. — Back in 2010 the Somers Point Historical Society (SPHS) began planning to erect a monument of the Barbary War hero who bears the name of the organization and its town.

Richard Somers was born in 1778 and was the great-grandson of the town’s namesake. He achieved the rank of Master Commandant in the United States Navy and was killed in the First Barbary War with 11 other men when the ship he commanded, The Intrepid, exploded in Tripoli Harbor in September 1804. Since that date, six U.S. Navy ships have been named U.S.S. Somers in his honor.

The SPHS held a series of fundraisers — and was able to rely on ongoing contributions from SPHS members, friends and local businesses — with the hope of having the monument in place honoring their local war hero by the fall of 2013. Recently that quest took a huge step forward when a 36-inch tall, 400-pound bronze bust of Cdr. Somers, arrived at the Somers Point Historical Museum. 



The bust is the work of Italian-born sculptor Luigi Badia of Somers, New York. When several Somers Point residents visited the New York town in 2011 to accept a “Key to the City” and form a sister-city relationship, they noticed a monument of Cdr. Richard Somers there, dedicated to the town namesake. Information was exchanged and — with the permission of the Somers, N.Y. town government and Badia — a new cast of Richard Somers was completed for the City of Somers Point.

“It is extraordinary and exciting to share the same bust with our friends in Somers, New York,” says Somers Point Historical Society president Sally Hastings in a media release. “We are very honored to have this beautiful work of art available to honor Richard Somers. We look forward to the dedication when Luigi Badia will be with us, as well as friends from Somers, New York, attending.”

The bust will eventually rest on a five-foot tall granite pedestal, procurement of which is now underway. The entire monument will be placed next to the Atlantic County Library/Somers Point Branch on Shore Road — the site of the original Veteran’s Park — and in close proximity to the original birthplace of Richard Somers, his family burial plot at the New York Avenue School, and the ancestral home of the Somers family, Somers Mansion. Two local museums possessing artifacts and information about Cdr. Somers are also located nearby. The dedication of the newly completed monument is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013.

A few thousand dollars more is needed to complete the entire project. If you are interested in contributing, call (609) 927-2900, visit somerspointhistory.org or richardsomers.org.

Richard Somers Monument Nears Completion in Somers Point

The monument will be near the Route 52 causeway that connects Somers Point and Ocean City.

http://oceancity.patch.com/articles/richard-somers-monument-nears-completion-in-somers-point-6a6e6074

A 36-inch tall, 400-pound bronze bust of Barbary War hero, Richard Somers, recently arrived at the Somers Point Historical Museum. The bust is the first stage towards completion of a monument in honor of local naval hero Somers and the Intrepid crew, who died in 1804.

The monument will be located near the Somers Mansion at the opposite end of the reconstructed Route 52 causeway from Ocean City, where a pedestrian and bicycle lane is near completion.

[Note: More than likely the bust will be located in the park next to the Somers Point Library on Shore Rd]

The Somers Point Historical Society began planning for the monument in 2010. While ongoing contributions by Society members and local businesses have been collected, a few thousand dollars more is needed to complete the entire project. The bust will rest on a five foot tall granite pedestal, which is now underway, and will be placed next to the Atlantic County Library/Somers Point Branch on Shore Road. This is the site of the original Veteran’s Park and is also in close proximity to the original birthplace of Richard Somers, his family burial plot at New York Avenue School, and the ancestral home of the Somers Family, Somers Mansion. Two local museums which have artifacts and information about his life are also located nearby. The dedication of the newly completed monument will take place on Saturday, October 19, 2013.

Plans for a mural project to be painted on the side of the library building are expected to be completed in 2014.

The bust is the work of Italian born sculptor, Luigi Badia, from Somers, New York.

While local residents visited Somers, New York, in 2011 to accept their Key to the City and form a sister-city relationship, they saw that they had their own monument to town namesake, Richard Somers. Contact information was given for sculptor, Badia, and with the permission of the town government of Somers and Mr. Badia, this new cast of Richard Somers was completed for the city of Somers Point.

“It is extraordinary and exciting to share the same bust with our friends in Somers, New York,” said Somers Point Historical Society President Sally Hastings. “We are very honored to have this beautiful work of art available to honor Richard Somers. We look forward to the dedication when Luigi Badia will be with us as well as friends from Somers, New York, attending,” she added.

Master Commandant Richard Somers was the commanding officer of a fire ship laden with explosives that entered the harbor of Tripoli, Libya, on September 4, 1804. The plan was to use the ship as a distraction for the Barbary pirates while the remainder of the U.S. Naval Fleet waited outside the harbor to enter once the ship exploded. Somers, along with Henry Wadsworth, uncle of famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Joseph Israel and 10 other volunteers fitted the ship and sailed into the harbor. An explosion took place a bit sooner than expected, and the Fleet waited to catch sight of rowboats carrying the crew of the Intrepid to safety, but no boats appeared.

There are a few scenarios of what happened. The Intrepid may have been spotted prematurely going to their destination; the boat may have exploded prematurely on its own; or, Somers and his officers seeing that the mission was going to fail and not wanting explosives in the hands of the pirates, exploded the ship themselves, killing the entire crew so as not to become prisoners of the brutal Barbary pirates.

Initiatives are ongoing in an attempt to return the crew of the Intrepid to the United States from Libya. If the crew of the Intrepid should be returned to the United States, burial of all 13 crew members will be with the monument.

To make a donation toward the Richard Somers Monument or the mural project, please send to Somers Point Historical Society, PO Box 517, Somers Point, NJ, 08244. For more information about the Somers Point Historical Society call 609-927-2900 or visit www.somerspointhistory.org.

For more information about the City of Somers Point, NJ, visit www.somerspointgov.org or call 609-927-9088.

— News release from Suasion Communications Group

Related Topics: Richard Somers Monument and Route 52 causeway