Originally called Plaza De la Constitucion by Martin De Leon, the founder of Victoria, this square was included as part of an early 1830s survey of Victoria by Jose M. Carbajal, son-in-law of De Leon. Carbajal's survey expanded on the founder's basic design for the city, which followed the style of traditional Spanish municipalities. A water well lined with brick was placed in the center of the square in 1850. By 1872 a windmill stood over the well; twelve years later it was replaced by a standpipe. Other improvements included a bandstand in the 1870s, hitching racks in 1897; a Confederate memorial statue, Last Stand by Pompeo Coppini, dedicated in 1912; and lamp standards in 1923. In that year the standpipe was removed and the bandstand was relocated to the center of the plaza. Sidewalks were added by the Public Works Administration in the 1930s. Through the efforts of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the site was renamed De Leon Plaza as part of a plaza beautification project in 1941. As a gathering place, summer concert arena, exposition site, and town center, De Leon Plaza continues to serve the people of Victoria as it has for generations. The plaza stands as a reminder of the rich heritage of the city and its founder. (1998)
This page last updated: 6/1/2010 19:29:06
| StoppingPoints.com Editorial on De Leon Plaza: | Pompeo Luigi Coppini (May 19, 1870September 26, 1957) was a sculptor, born in Moglia, Mantua, Italy, the son of Giovanni and Leandra (Raffa) Coppini. He grew up in Florence where he studied at Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno under Augusto Rivalta.
Many of his works are in Austin, Texas, displayed on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and on the campus of The University of Texas. Coppini's statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross (Sully), Texas Governor and third president of Texas A&M University is considered one of the most revered works on the A&M campus in College Station and students often place coins at the statue's feet for good luck on exams. Coppini's marble statue of Senator James Paul Clarke stands in the U.S. Capitol. Coppini also designed bronze two bronze sculptures at Baylor University in Waco, Texas — former Baylor University President Rufus C. Burleson, located on the Burleson Quadrangle on the Baylor campus (1903), and Baylor University namesake and founder Judge R.E.B. Baylor (1939). One of Coppini's best works, according to the artist, is his bronze sculpture of John Reagan, former U.S. Senator from Palestine, Texas, located in that city's Reagan Park (1911), featuring the personification of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy seated at the base of the monument.
Notable Scultpures by Pompeo Coppini:
- Confederate Soldiers monument (1903) on the Texas State Capitol grounds, on monument designed by Frank Teich
- Rufus C. Burleson bronze statue (1903) at the Burleson Quadrangle on the Baylor University campus in Waco, Texas.
- Terry's Texas Rangers monument (1907) on the Texas State Capitol grounds
- Hood's Texas Brigade (1910) on the Texas State Capitol grounds, Austin
- John H. Reagan bronze statues (1911) in Reagan Park in Palestine, Texas
- John Hunt Morgan Memorial (1911) in Lexington, Kentucky
- Firing Line bronze statue (1912) DeLeon Plaza Victoria, Texas
- Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1918) on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas
- Charles H. Noyes bronze sculpture (1919) Ballinger, Texas
- Bronze doors of the Scottish Rite Cathedral (dedicated 1924) in San Antonio, Texas[1]
- San Antonio Express-News (1929) building entrance with carvings, San Antonio, Texas
- Littlefield Fountain (1933) on the University of Texas campus
- Cenotaph to the Alamo (1936-40) San Antonio, Texas
- Judge R.E.B. Baylor bronze statue (1939) on the Baylor University campus in Waco, Texas.
- Dr. J. Frank Norris statue at the Top O' Hill Terrace, Arlington, Texas
- George Washington statue (1955) on the University of Texas campus
- Daughters of the Confederacy statue at Broadway Bluff, in Corpus Christi
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De Leon Plaza Historical Marker Location Map, Victoria, Texas
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Related Themes: Texas C.S.A., Texas Confederate States of America, Confederacy
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