The Joan of Arc Statue in Gloucester, MA is a striking equestrian bronze created by the renowned sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, commissioned as a World War I memorial and presented by the French government in 1921. It honors the sons of Gloucester who sacrificed their lives in the Great War. Located at the traffic circle between Washington and Middle Streets, the work features Joan of Arc in full battle armor on horseback, mounted atop a local-glazed granite cenotaph designed by Frederick G. Hall and quarried in Gloucester.

 

Huntington modeled this version in her Annisquam studio, using “Frank,” a local fire department horse, as the mount. Her Gloucester statue is the second full-size cast of this iconic design; the original located in New York City’s Riverside Park and one of just five monumental replicas worldwide (others in Blois, San Francisco, and Québec City.

 

Beyond its artistic beauty, the statue holds deep meaning. As a memorial it connects Gloucester’s maritime past, wartime sacrifices, and Franco-American friendship. The dedication evoked comparisons between Joan’s bravery and the American spirit of honor, courage, and devotion to democratic ideals.

 

Anna Hyatt Huntington was a trailblazing female sculptor in the early 20th century, achieving critical acclaim; her Joan of Arc was the first public monument in New York dedicated to a woman artist, earning her international recognition and cementing her place in American art history