Columbus Monument (New York City) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Columbus Monument |
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The monument in 2006
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| Subject | Christopher Columbus |
| Location | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 40°46′05″N 73°58′55″W / 40.768087°N 73.981896°W | |
The Columbus Monument is a tall column located in the middle of Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City. It stands about 76-foot (23 m) (23 meters) high. An Italian artist named Gaetano Russo created this monument.
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What Does the Columbus Monument Look Like?
The monument has a large marble statue of Christopher Columbus at the very top. This statue is about 14-foot (4.3 m) (4.3 meters) tall. It sits on a tall column made of granite, which is about 27.5-foot (8.4 m) (8.4 meters) high.
Details of the Column and Base
The granite column is decorated with bronze shapes. These shapes are meant to look like the ships Columbus used: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. However, they actually look more like ancient Roman ships called galleys. The column rests on a base made of four steps, also out of granite. On this base, you can see a statue of an angel holding a globe.
History of the Columbus Monument
The Columbus Monument was one of three monuments planned for New York City in 1892. This was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. At first, the monument was going to be in a different part of the city.
How the Monument Was Built
In 1890, Gaetano Russo's design was chosen. Italian business people from all over the United States helped pay for it. They gave $12,000, which was a lot of money back then. The rest of the money came from Il Progresso Italo-Americano, an Italian-language newspaper in New York City.
Russo made parts of the monument in his art studio in Rome, Italy. The bronze pieces were made at the Nelli Foundry. The finished column was shipped to the United States in September 1892. It was then put in place at Columbus Circle. The monument was officially shown to the public on October 13, 1892. This was part of the big 400th-anniversary celebration.
Changes and Repairs Over Time
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the New York City Subway's Eighth Avenue Line was being built under Columbus Circle. Workers had to put temporary supports around the statue. Even with these supports, the statue moved a little. It shifted two inches north and tilted about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) (3.8 cm) at the top. Because of this, the statue was repaired and cleaned in 1934.
In 1992, the monument was touched up again. This was to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's journey. It was also the monument's 100th birthday.
Art Projects and Discussions About the Monument
In 2012, an artist named Tatzu Nishi created an art project around the statue called Discovering Columbus. He built a modern living room around the statue of Columbus. This allowed people to climb up and see the statue up close in a new way. The living room had furniture, a rug, and a TV. It was designed to look like a New York City apartment. This project gave people a unique view of the historical monument.
More recently, there have been discussions about the statue. Some people have criticized Christopher Columbus for how he treated the native people of the lands he visited. In 2017, after some protests, the mayor of New York City asked for a review of monuments in the city. This was to see if any, including the Columbus Monument, should be changed or removed.
Some people wanted the monument removed because of Columbus's actions. However, many Italian American groups and organizers of the Columbus Day Parade did not want it removed. After the statue was damaged with red paint in September 2017, security was added around it.
In 2018, the New York State Board of Historic Preservation voted to add the monument to the state's historic register. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. Later that year, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places.
