Richard Dale No Surrender!

720 County Street •

Richard Dale was one of Virginia’s most daring and celebrated heroes of the American Revolution. Born in 1756 at Dale’s Point, in what is now Portsmouth’s Waterview neighborhood, he went to sea as an apprentice aboard a merchant vessel owned and captained by his uncle at just twelve years old. His most famous service came as first lieutenant aboard the Bonhomme Richard under the command of John Paul Jones. During the epic battle against the larger British warship HMS Serapis, Dale rallied the crew and helped secure a hard-fought American victory. After the Revolution, Dale became the first superintendent of the Gosport Naval Shipyard. During his tenure, the USS Chesapeake, one of the original six frigates authorized for the newly established United States Navy, was constructed there.
This mural was funded with a matching grant from the Virginia Commission of the Arts, the VA250, and the National Endowment for the Arts as part of Portsmouth’s celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States. Visit Support Portsmouth Public Art’s website for more information.