George Grey Barnard and Barnard House Bed & Breakfast

George Grey Barnard (May 24, 1863 - April 24, 1938), son of Joseph Hoke Barnard and Martha Grubb, was born in this house located in the Pennsylvania town of Bellefonte. This farmhouse structure was Built in 1858, at 113 East Linn Street and is now the Barnard House Bed & Breakfast.

George Grey Barnard was an American sculptor. Born in Bellefonte Pennsylvania on May 24, 1863, the son of Reverend Joseph Hoke Barnard, and his wife Martha Grubb. George also had a brother, Evan, and two sisters named, May and Barbara.

Three years after he was born, His family moved to Kankakee, Illinois, where George grew up. He first studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, and in 1883–1887 worked in P. T. Cavelier’s atelier in Paris while he attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. George lived in Paris for twelve years, and with his first exhibit at the Salon of 1894 he scored a great success. While in Europe during this period, Barnard also met his future wife, Edna Monroe.

Edna and George married in 1895 and returned to the United States, settling in New York's Washington Heights. During the early years of marriage, Barnard continued to produce major works in bronze and marble, including "The Hewer," "Maiden with Roses," and "Norwegian Clock." At the turn of the century, he taught briefly at the Art Students League of New York as a Professor of Sculpture. More praise came Barnard's way, including gold medals at expositions held in Paris (1900) and in Buffalo (1901). Not all of Barnard's creations were as well received.

Originally intended for placement in New York City's Central Park, Barnard's 1895 sculpture of the god Pan was rejected because of the controversy created over the image's nudity. The reclining half-man, half-goat figure was later presented to Columbia University.

Barnard's sculpture of a young Abraham Lincoln created an even greater rift. The statue was commissioned by Charles Taft for the City of Cincinnati. Barnard intended to create a "Lincoln for the people." When it was announced that a replica of Barnard's 11-foot bronze, dedicated in 1917, was to go to Westminster Abby to commemorate 100 years of peace, harsh reactions to his work appeared. Barnard's "Lincoln" was denounced as "slouchy and ungainly" and reportedly criticized by Robert Todd Lincoln, the late President's son.

As George grew older, his ideas grew larger. While working in Harrisburg, he returned to France for a visit and supplemented his income by reselling “antiques” that he found during bicycle rides to the country. The profits produced by selling small architectural elements were notable, but this venture proved to be more difficult when he turned his attention to significant pieces, such as those found in the Monastery of Cuxa.

While working on a larger-than-life-size statue of Abel, Barnard suffered two heart attacks in one day. He died two weeks later on April 24, 1938

Courtesy of Barnard House Bed and Breakfast, Centre County Historical Society and Wikipedia

http://bellefonte.com/BandB/barnardhouse/index.html

http://www.centrecountyhistory.org

http://www.wikipedia.org/