Commodore John Barry Memorial

Known as "the Father of the American Navy," Commodore Barry commanded three ships during the Revolutionary War, including the Alliance, which won the war's final naval battle. In 1794, President Washington asked Barry to organize a formal United States Navy, and Barry went on to serve as senior captain when an undeclared naval war with France broke out in 1798. There are two copies of this memorial in existence. The first was commissioned by the City of Boston in 1949, but it was later stolen. A replacement was installed in 1977, funded by the Henderson Foundation. The stolen plaque was eventually returned, and it is now in the collection of the USS Constitution Museum nearby in Charlestown. Courtesy of Boston Art Commission.