On September 14, we unveiled Noble Purpose, our new sculpture dedicated to all the people who worked for the Clemens family. Made up of horseshoes of many sizes, some from the many horses that artist and farrier Michael Linton has worked with, this sculpture evokes the life and work of Patrick McAleer, the coachman to the Clemens family for all the years they lived in Hartford. Patrick and his family lived in the Carriage House and were an active part of the life of the Clemens’ busy household. Patrick not only drove the carriage, but he looked after the horses, cows, and other animals that lived on what was once an 8-acre parcel of Clemens’ land.
This sculpture is also dedicated to the more than 30 other people who lived and worked in the home from 1874 to 1891. These include, but are not limited, to George Griffin, who worked as butler and foreman of the team of servants, Katy Leary, who worked as a lady’s maid and nursemaid, Daniel Molloy and John O’Neill, both gardeners, along with many others who were the cooks and cleaners who kept this house running.
This sculpture also reminds us that visual art has the power to do things that words alone cannot—art has the power to tell stories, to slow us down from our daily lives and remind us of history that isn’t always known or seen. Art is a powerful memorial, and we hope you will visit the sculpture when you next come to the Mark Twain House & Museum.