Olde Towne in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Richard Dale, U.S.N.

1756 - 1826

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 30, 2021

1. Richard Dale, U.S.N. Marker

Inscription. In honor of
Commodore Richard Dale, U.S.N.
A native of this place.
Born November 6, 1756,
Died in Philadelphia, PA. Feb. 26, 1826.
Erected by Fort Nelson Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
May 9, 1917

Erected 1917 by Fort Nelson Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in this topic list: Military. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) series list.

Location. 36° 50.292′ N, 76° 18.241′ W. Memorial is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Olde Towne. It is at the intersection of Washington Street and North Street, in the median on Washington Street. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 598 North St, Portsmouth VA 23704, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally,

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it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Emanuel A.M.E. Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Lincolnsville (within shouting distance of this marker); Birthplace of Dr. James W. Holley III (within shouting distance of this marker); Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Emanuel A.M.E. Church (about 400 feet away); Ruth Brown (about 400 feet away); St. John's Church (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.

Also see . . . Richard Dale (Wikipedia). (Submitted on July 12, 2025, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.)

Additional commentary.
1.
Richard Dale was a Revolutionary

Plaque on the reverse of the relief sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 30, 2021

2. Plaque on the reverse of the relief sculpture

War naval hero, John Paul Jones' 1st Lieutenant aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard during the duel with HMS Serapis, and later served as the first commandant of the Gosport Navy Yard (now the Norfolk Navy Yard). He also fought in the Barbary Wars in 1801. Five ships of the US Navy have been named in his honor - an 1839 sloop, three destroyers, and the destroyer leader/guided missile cruiser CG-19.

— Submitted February 9, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.

Richard Dale image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive

3. Richard Dale

From The Pictorial Field-Book Of The War Of 1812 by Benson Lossing, 1896, Page 118.

Richard Dale's birthplace image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 18, 2025

4. Richard Dale's birthplace

The monument is placed in Olde Towne Portsmouth facing a Dale family home, three blocks north from the monument's location. The 1723 Dale-Reed House, shown here, was built for Col. William Crawford (founder of Portsmouth) to house his Overseer, Daniel Dale - Richard Dale's father.

Richard Dale Monument Relief Detail image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 18, 2025

5. Richard Dale Monument Relief Detail

Naval engraving entitled "Protection of Our Country" reproduced for Col. William Lams in 1921.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 383 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on February 13, 2024, by Carolyn Sanders of Plano, Texas. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 31, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on February 20, 2021, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 4, 5. submitted on February 9, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.