George Washington Statue

Public Art: George Washington Statue

Sculptor: © Henry Kirke Brown (1814-1886)

Description: A bronze equestrian statue of the first President of the United States, George Washington depicting the moment Washington claimed New York City from the British (Evacuation Day). Washington sits upon his horse and signals to the troops with his outstretch right hand, his hat held firmly in his left hand along with the horse's reins.

Date Unveiled: On the 5th June, 1865 the statue was installed in front of a crowd of thousands but the officially unveiling happened a month later on the 4th of July. The statue was originally erected in a fenced off enclosure in the middle of the street at the south end corner of Union Square but was later moved in 1930 to the south side when the park was redesigned. 

Foundry : The Washington statue was cast at the Ames Foundry in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Location: The Washington statue can be found at the south side of Union Square Park, Manhattan, New York.

Trivia : The George Washington statue is the oldest sculpture in the New York City Parks collection.

In 1989 the missing sword and bridle strap were replaced through the Adopt-A-Monument program.

Following the events of September 11th, 2001, the George Washington statue has become a shrine for grieving New Yorkers. 

On the 7th of February, 2012,  Maksim Katsnelson, dressed as Superman, Climbed the George Washington statue and launched into a series of rants. His main gripe was directed at Donald Trump. When police tried to remove him, Katsnelson perched up on Washington's shoulders yelling "People are fighting to save America, I'm fighting to save the world!" He was eventually removed and taken away for phychiatric evaluation.