Nels N. Alling

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.

[3] He immigrated to the United States in 1887 and started work at the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company.

[4][5] He had come to New Jersey as he later recalled, because:[4] I heard that top-flight workers in terra cotta could earn as much as 55 cents an hour, which was a fantastic sum of money in my estimation in those days.At the time, Perth Amboy had several terra cotta manufacturing companies and attracted skilled workers from several countries, including Denmark and Sweden.

[2][6] In 1895, Alling received a commission for a life-size terra cotta statue of George Washington, which he modeled in his studio.

[4] 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.