Statue of Christopher Columbus (Buffalo, New York)
| Statue of Christopher Columbus | |
|---|---|
The memorial in March 2020 | |
| Artist | Giovanni Polizzi |
| Subject | Christopher Columbus |
| Location | Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| 42°54′4.4″N 78°53′34.6″W / 42.901222°N 78.892944°W | |
A statue of Christopher Columbus by the sculptor Giovanni Polizzi[1] formerly stood in Columbus Park, in Buffalo, New York.[2][3]
History
The statue was originally installed downtown in 1952 on the tiny triangular block bounded by Franklin, Niagara and West Eagle streets.[4]
In the early 1970s, during the administration of Mayor Stanley Makowski, it was moved 15 blocks north, to make room for urban renewal.[5]
The statue was vandalized multiple times. In 2017, a petition drive began, asking the city to restore the park's name and remove the statue.[6]
Removal
On July 10, 2020, the statue of Columbus was removed.[3] The same day, city officials also stated that Columbus Park would be renamed.[3]
See also
- List of monuments and memorials to Christopher Columbus
- List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
References
- ^ "What shall we do with our drunken sailor, inventor of Americas?". Rise Collaborative. July 14, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ "Protesters call for removal of Columbus statue in Buffalo". June 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c McShea, Keith & Sommer, Mark (10 July 2020). Statue comes down in Christopher Columbus Park; name change will follow. Buffalo News. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Christopher Columbus, Buffalo, New York, Columbus Park, 1952". buffaloah.com. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
- ^ "Christopher Columbus, Buffalo, New York, Columbus Park, 1952". vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ "Petition seeks Columbus statue removal — plus renaming of Buffalo park". The Buffalo News. August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2019.