| Nels N. Alling | |
| Birth Date: | 15 October 1861 |
| Birth Place: | Randers, Denmark |
| Death Place: | Fords, New Jersey, US |
| Resting Place: | Alpine Cemetery, Perth Amboy, New Jersey |
| Known For: | Terra cotta sculpture |
| Notable Works: | Statue of George Washington |
Nels N. Alling (October 15, 1861 – March 9, 1955) was a Danish-American sculptor who specialized in terra cotta architectural work in the city of Perth Amboy in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. He is known for his life-size terra cotta statue of George Washington located in the city's Market Square.[1]
Alling studied art in Denmark, and had been recognized for his work by Danish king Christian IX.[2] He immigrated to the United States in 1887 and started work at the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company.[3] [4] He had come to New Jersey as he later recalled, because:[3] At the time, Perth Amboy had several terra cotta manufacturing companies and attracted skilled workers from several countries, including Denmark and Sweden.[5] In 1895, Alling received a commission for a life-size terra cotta statue of George Washington, which he modeled in his studio. The statue was a gift from the Scandinavians of Perth Amboy and dedicated on Washington's Birthday, February 22, 1896, in Market Square, in front of the Perth Amboy City Hall.[1] [6] Alling's daughter unveiled the statue at the ceremony, which featured speeches by the mayor and Scandinavians of the city.[6]
Alling created terra cotta statuary for several New York City buildings, including the now demolished New York Hippodrome. He also sculpted several other statues[2] and is thought to have made many gravemarkers in Perth Amboy.[7] He later operated a funerary monuments and headstones business.[8] [9]
Alling was born on October 15, 1861, in the city of Randers in Denmark. He married Wilhelmina Charlotte Weedfald in July 1887[10] and soon emigrated to New Jersey.[3] He died on March 9, 1955, at his home in the Fords section of Woodbridge Township and was buried at the Alpine Cemetery in Perth Amboy.[11]