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William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an extremely influential and prolific British playwright and poet. On the tricentennial of Shakespeare's birth, a group of actors and producers received permission to lay the cornerstone for a statue at the south end of The Mall. Sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward (1830-1910) was selected in a 1866 competition and funds for the statue were raised with benefit performances. Park architect Jacob Wrey Mould (1825-1886) designed the Scottish granite pedestal and the statue was cast in Philadelphia in 1870, with a final dedication at this site on May 23, 1872. (reference)