GPS City GuideWilmingtonEquestrian statue of Caesar Rodney

Stop 22 of 37 · Wilmington audio walking tour

Equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney

Rodney Square · 1923 · Bronze equestrian tribute unveiled

What you'll hear here: about 90 seconds on Equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney — the story behind what you're looking at, playing hands-free as you arrive.

On July 4, 1923 a statue of Caesar Rodney was installed on this spot in Rodney Square. It was designed by New York sculptor James Edward Kelly and cast by the Gorham Company in Rhode Island, a commission paid for by the Caesar Rodney Equestrian Statue Executive Committee to commemorate Rodney’s ride from Kent County, Delaware to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Two bronze plaques are affixed to the northwest and southeast sides of the pedestal: one shows Thomas McKean greeting Rodney in Philadelphia; the other shows Rodney casting the deciding vote in favor of American independence.

Atop the pedestal, the figure was posed astride a horse in full gallop, its front feet in the air and most of the weight borne on the hind legs; Kelly balanced that dramatic posture by heavily weighting the horse’s tail and positioning Rodney upright and toward the rear of the horse. The statue was removed from public view during the George Floyd protests in 2020, and in May 2026 it was relocated to Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC. Picture Rodney galloping across the pedestal's bronze plaques, and follow the square to the spot where that statue once stood.

Where it is

Coordinates
39.74595, -75.5473
Area
Rodney Square
Era
1923 · Bronze equestrian tribute unveiled
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.