''William Tecumseh Sherman'', also known as the Sherman Memorial or Sherman Monument, is a sculpture group honoring

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

, created by

Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens (; March 1, 1848 – August 3, 1907) was an American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance. From a French-Irish family, Saint-Gaudens was raised in New York City, he trav ...

and located at

Grand Army Plaza Grand Army Plaza, originally known as Prospect Park Plaza, is a public plaza that comprises the northern corner and the main entrance of Prospect Park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It consists of concentric oval rings arranged as s ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York. Cast in 1902 and dedicated on May 30, 1903, the gilded-bronze monument consists of an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...

of Sherman and an accompanying statue, ''Victory'', an allegorical female figure of the Greek goddess

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

. The statues are set on a Stony Creek granite pedestal designed by the architect

Charles Follen McKim Charles Follen McKim (August 24, 1847 – September 14, 1909) was an American Beaux-Arts architect of the late 19th century. Along with William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White, he provided the architectural expertise as a member of the part ...

History

1913 plaza design and statue relocation

The newspaper publisher

Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer ( ; born Pulitzer József, ; April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911) was a Hungarian-American politician and newspaper publisher of the '' St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' and the ''New York World''. He became a leading national figure in ...

died in 1911 having bequeathed $50,000 for the creation of a memorial fountain to be "like those in the Place de la Concorde, Paris France". In December 1912, the executors of Pulitzer's estate announced that New York City had approved the fountain's proposed location, in the plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street, just west of Fifth Avenue, the same plaza where the equestrian Sherman Monument stood since 1903. The executors invited five architecture firms to participate in a competition to determine the fountain's design, and to provide designs for a "good architectural treatment of the whole plaza". In January 1913, the five schemes were exhibited at the New York Public Library, including the winning scheme, designed by

Carrère and Hastings Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was one of the outstanding American Beaux-Arts architecture firms. Located in New York City ...

. Architect Thomas Hasting's design placed the fountain in the southern half of the plaza, whereas the Sherman Monument remained in the northern half (but moved west to be symmetrically opposite the fountain). Construction of the new plaza began in 1915, and by November one newspaper reported: "The Pulitzer Fountain...is now finished and bubbling with the purest Croton water," noting that work on the northern portion of the plaza was delayed by subway construction.

1974 landmarks designation

On May 30, 1974, the

Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

held a public hearing to consider designation of the

, including the Sherman Monument, as a Scenic Landmark. The measure was approved on July 23, 1974.

Restoration

On March 26, 1985, the Central Park Conservancy and the architecture firm of Buttrick White & Burtis presented plans to the

for a full restoration of the plaza, including the Sherman Monument. The work was completed in June 1990, including a re-gilding of the statue, and the replacement of a palm frond and a sword that had been removed previously. Grand Army Plaza William Tecumseh Sherman Statue 2021-05-13 18-52 G90T7348

Grand Army Plaza William Tecumseh Sherman Statue 2021-05-13 18-52 G90T7348

The

was renewed again in 2013, including a re-gilding of the statue of William Tecumseh Sherman.

Critiques

According to the report prepared by the Landmarks Commission for its 1974 designation, many consider the Sherman Monument to be Saint-Gaudens’ finest work. Not everyone agreed; according to Frank Weitenkampf, sculptor

John Quincy Adams Ward John Quincy Adams Ward (June 29, 1830 – May 1, 1910) was an American sculptor, whose most familiar work is his larger than life-size standing statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City. Early ye ...

was less than enthusiastic about the equestrian composition: "Saint-Gaudens was a timid rider and it showed in this work.... if the horse should stumble the general would inevitably be thrown over his head."

Use on coinage

The obverse of Saint-Gaudens' 1907 United States

Saint-Gaudens double eagle The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is a twenty-dollar gold coin, or double eagle, produced by the United States Mint from 1907 to 1933. The coin is named after its designer, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed the obverse and reverse. I ...

coin, portraying

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

, is based on his sculpture of ''Victory''.

Gallery

File:New York City. Plan for Entrance to Central Park (3678964534).jpg, 1863 design showing a proposed fountain (before the plaza was extended south to 58th Street) File:1868 Vaux ^ Olmstead Map of Central Park, New York City - Geographicus - CentralPark-CentralPark-1869 (Cropped & Rotated).jpg, 1868 Map of Central Park includes the future site of the Sherman Monument File:1869 Knapp Map of the Southeast Corner of Central Park (Grand Army Plaza) New York City - Geographicus - CentralParkSW-centralpark-1869.jpg, 1869 map of the plaza, showing a site for a clock tower near where the Sherman statue was located in 1903 File:Plaza Hotel NYC.jpg, A view of the Sherman Monument circa 1908–1915, before the creation of the Grand Army Plaza File:Grand Army Plaza 1913 Design.jpg, Thomas Hasting's 1913 plan for the plaza, showing the relocated Sherman statue in the northern (upper) half File:Augustus Saint-Gaudens.jpg, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who sculpted the monument, photographed in 1905 File:Charles Follen McKim by Frances Benjamin Johnston.jpg, Architect Charles Follen McKim designed the pedestal of the monument. File:2018 6 - WTS SG Statue Base - NYC.jpg, Detail of the Monument's pedestal File:Sherman GAP statue golden sun jeh.jpg, Southeast side File:Angel, horse & Sherman at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan 02.jpg, View looking southwest to Central Park South

References

External links

* {{Fifth Avenue 1902 establishments in New York City 1902 sculptures 59th Street (Manhattan) Saint-Gaudens Allegorical sculptures in New York City Bronze sculptures in New York City Equestrian statues in New York City Monuments and memorials in Manhattan Outdoor sculptures in Manhattan Sculptures by Augustus Saint-Gaudens Sculptures in Central Park Sculptures of Greek goddesses Victory