History of Middletown, (Butler County) Ohio United States of America

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Shobal Vail Clevenger, sculptor, was born in Middletown, Ohio, Oct. 22, 1812; son of Samuel and Sarah Clevenger. His father, a farmer of French parentage, migrated from New Jersey. The son was self educated and in 1827 went to Cincinnati and engaged to work with a stone cutter. He manifested artistic ability and by advice of David Guino he learned to sculpture portrait busts directly from freestone. In 1838 he removed to New York City where he devoted himself to art. He was married in 1835 to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Comfort (Hancock) Wright, a niece of Gov. Silas Wright of New York, and a cousin of John Hancock of Massachusetts. Mrs. Clevenger died in 1897. Mr. Clevenger obtained sittings from many distinguished men of the day, and his works found a place in the art galleries and public libraries of New York, Boston and Philadelphia. His head of Webster was used on the fifteen-cent U.S. postage stamps; and his bust of Henry Clay was placed in the Metropolitan museum of art, New York city, bequeathed by a New Orleans gentleman. In 1840 he visited Italy, where he executed his second ideal work, "The North American Indian," the first American subject sculptured in Rome. Among his works, not mentioned above, are the following: "Lady of the Lake" from Scott's poem, his first ideal subject; portrait busts from life of Harrison. Van Buren, Everett, Clay, Webster, Washington Allston, J. Q. Adams, John Hopkinson (the author of "Hail Columbia"), Dr. James Jackson, Jeremiah Mason, Benjamin Bussey (in Memorial Hall, Harvard University), H. G. Otis (in the Old State House, Boston), Samuel Ward and his daughter Julia (afterward Mrs. Julia Ward Howe), Governor Wolcott of Connecticut, Chancellor Kent (in library of the city hall, New York, the last executed by the sculptor in America), and Louis Bonaparte (former King of Holland). He died when on his way home and his body was committed to the Atlantic, a day's sail from Gibraltar. The date of his death was Sept. 27, 1843.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Middletown, (Butler County) Ohio

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