Nathan Hale Statue

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American spy Captain Nathan Hale became the first famous martyr of the American Revolution when he was captured and later executed by the British in 1776. At the gallows, Hale gained renown through his final words which appear around the circular base of the statue: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

This life-sized standing bronze figure of Hale was bequeathed to the United States by George Dudley Seymour of New Haven, Connecticut. The sculpture shows Hale at the moment of his famous speech prior to his execution. He stands erect and proud with his feet and hands bound and a blindfold draped over his shoulders. The statue rests on a pedestal of granite about three feet high.

The statue was authorized by public law No. 683 by the 79th Congress on August 8, 1946. Prior to being moved to DC, the statue was formerly situated at Hale's birthplace in South Coventry, Connecticut. A replica of the figure is at Yale University. Designed by Bela Lyon Pratt around 1915, the statue is believed to have been cast in 1930. The statue is currently owned by the National Park Service. 

Part of American Revolution Statuary
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: July 14, 1978
Within Federal Triangle Historic District and Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site