M.A. Kleen

A bronze statue of Captain John Smith stands within the outlines of the original Jamestown fort, marking the legacy of one of the colony’s most prominent early leaders. Designed by Norfolk sculptor William Couper, the figure presents Smith in a confident, heroic pose atop a substantial granite base, rising roughly twenty feet in height. The pedestal bears the inscription “John Smith, Governor of Virginia, 1608,” along with his coat of arms and the Latin motto vincere est vivere (“to live is to conquer”). Unveiled on May 13, 1909, the monument was a gift from Joseph and Isobel Bryan, early preservation advocates whose support helped shape the historic site, and it remains one of the most recognizable features at Historic Jamestowne.