Grand Army Plaza to Columbus Circle New York City Walking Tour

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This monument commemorates William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891), one of the leading Union generals during the Civil War. A native of Ohio and graduate of West Point, he is best remembered for his 1864 “March to the Sea,” during which his army trampled through the heart of Georgia, destroying rail lines, toppling telegraph poles, burning factories, and stealing food and supplies en route to capturing the coastal city of Savannah. Shortly after Sherman’s death in 1891, his friends in the New York Chamber of Commerce appointed a committee to raise funds for the erection of a monument in honor of the Civil War hero. In 1892, the committee commissioned esteemed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and architect Charles McKim to design the statue and pedestal, respectively. Unveiled in Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza on May 30, 1903, the monument consists of a larger-than-life-sized gilded bronze equestrian statue of Sherman led by a female allegorical figure representing “Peace.” The two sculptures rest on an oblong, pink granite pedestal adorned with six gilded bronze wreaths.

2. Pulitzer Fountain

This fountain on the southern half of Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza is named after prominent newspaper editor and publisher, Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911). A native of Hungary and veteran of the American Civil War, he is best remembered as the owner and editor of the 'New York World,' which was the most-read newspaper in the United States by the end of the 1880s. In his will, Pulitzer directed the executors of his estate to endow Columbia University’s School of Journalism and allocate funds for the creation of the Pulitzer Prize. He also bequeathed $50,000 to the City of New York for the creation and installation of a fountain in what is now Grand Army Plaza. Architect Thomas Hastings of the esteemed New York architectural firm, Carrère and Hastings, won the design competition and received the commission. Dedicated in 1916, the fountain features five stepped limestone basins capped by a bronze sculpture of Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance. Designed by sculptor Karl Bitter, she stands atop a small circular basin holding a basket of fruit.

3. The Plaza Hotel

From its opening in 1907 to today, this iconic hotel has represented the glamour of New York City and has entertained celebrities and world leaders. The current Plaza Hotel replaced a much smaller hotel, also known as the Plaza Hotel, that operated at this location from 1890 to 1905. Investors Bernhard Beinecke, Fred Sterry, and Harry S. Black recognized the value of this location and constructed the present luxury hotel which became the first in the city to become a National Historic Landmark.

4. Statue of Simón Bolívar

Simón Bolívar became one of South America's leading revolutionary generals, with victories that led to the independence of Panama, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia (which was named after Bolívar). Many Americans supported the efforts of Latin American revolutionary Bolívar during the 19th century. Although he helped to liberate Latin America from Spain, Bolívar’s legacy is troubled by the region’s instability after his death in 1830.

5. José Julián Martí Statue

The bronze, over-life-sized equestrian statue honors the life and work of José Julián Martí (1853-1895). Born in Cuba in 1853, the poet and journalist supported Cuban independence from Spain in the late nineteenth century. Despite being deported from Cuba twice and serving six months hard labor for his beliefs, Martí’s revolutionary spirit and desire to see his native island achieve its independence never wavered. While residing in New York City, he founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in 1892 and began plotting an invasion of Cuba, which he and others hoped would finally bring about the end of Spanish rule on the island. Martí left New York City in late January 1895 and, after spending some time in Florida, landed in Cuba in April. The following month, he was killed during a skirmish with Spanish forces at Dos Ríos. In the 1950s, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington created the statue. The last major work of her career, she gifted the statue to the Cuban government, which donated it, along with a dark granite pedestal, to the people of New York City. In 1959, the statue was cast, but—in a twist of irony—a revolution in Cuba and subsequent strained diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States delayed its dedication. In 1965, the statue—which depicts the moment Martí was fatally wounded in battle in 1895—was finally unveiled. Nearly thirty years later, in 1992, the Central Park Conservancy completed a full restoration effort on the statue. The organization financed the project through donations from Cuban-American across the United States. Today, it is one of three equestrian statues in Central Park (along with that of Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín) that honor important figures in Latin American history.

6. José de San Martín Statue

The bronze equestrian statue honors the life of José de San Martín (1778-1850). Born in the small town of Yapeyú in what is now Argentina, San Martín enjoyed a successful, more than two-decades-long military career serving the Spanish crown before offering his services to the revolutionary government in Buenos Aires, which at the time was the center of the South American independence movement. There, in 1812, he began recruiting and training an army to fight royalist forces and help liberate his native land from Spanish rule. By the early 1820s, San Martín had helped not only Argentina, but also Chile and Peru gain their independence from Spain. In 1950, in exchange for a statue of George Washington sent to it by the United States, the City of Buenos Aires gifted the statue of San Martín to the City of New York. A smaller replica of the one designed by French sculptor Louis-Joseph Daumas and erected in Buenos Aires in 1862, the statue was dedicated on May 25, 1951. Today, it is one of three equestrian statues in Central Park (along with that of Simón Bolívar and José Martí) that honor important figures in Latin American history.

7. The U.S.S. Maine National Monument

Located in Merchants’ Gate Plaza at Central Park’s southwestern entrance, the U.S.S. Maine National Monument honors the nearly 270 American sailors who lost their lives when the battleship exploded in Havana Harbor on the evening of February 15, 1898. Designed by architect H. Van Buren Magonigle, built by sculptor Attilio Piccirilli, and paid for by funds raised by New York newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, the monument consists of a large granite pylon topped with a gilded bronze female figure, Columbia Triumphant, riding in a seashell chariot pulled by three hippocampi. At the base of the pylon is a fountain and several marble figures that symbolize the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along with the ideas of courage, fortitude, justice, war, and peace. The monument was dedicated on May 30, 1913.

8. Columbus Monument, Columbus Circle, NYC

In one of America's most bustling cities, a monument of Christopher Columbus has become a source of tension between the city's Italian American community and groups of anti-Columbus protesters due to the numerous roles that the explorer embodies as the man who "discovered" the New World. The Christopher Columbus Monument was dedicated to the city of New York nearly 130 years ago on behalf of the immigrated working-class Italian American community. It has served as a source of identity and inspiration, as well as a source of ethnic pride for many Italian Americans for nearly 130 years. However, in recent years, many have criticized the monument of symbolizing an inherent ethnic hate of Native Americans. Many Americans are opposed to recognizing Columbus as an inspirational figure due to his history of oppression and genocide of the Native Peoples. In December, 2017, the tension regarding this monument ultimately came to a head when the monument was commissioned for a review regarding "symbols of hate" in NYC. Those opposed to the recognition of Columbus called for the removal of the monument, while many Italian Americans demanded that it stay.

9. The Museum of Arts and Design

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) first opened its doors in 1956 as the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, with an original mission of recognizing the craftsmanship of contemporary American artists. The museum was founded by Aileen Osborn Webb, a patron of the arts. Today, the museum fosters the creative process and how it influences crafted works that better our contemporary lives. This is accomplished by educating and inspiring the public through exhibitions, family programs, workshops, and classes. The museum also includes a restaurant and theatre to provide visitors with an all-day experience.

10. Carnegie Hall

Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, Carnegie Hall remains among the most famous and prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music. Carnegie Hall has its own artistic programming, development, and marketing departments and presents about 250 performances each year. Visitors can tour the building and also visit the Rose Museum which preserves and presents the history of the venue.

11. The Russian Tea Room

The Russian Tea Room is located next to Carnegie Hall and was founded by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet in 1927. This restaurant had previously employed the legendary Madonna. Madonna worked here in the late 1970s in order to pay her rent in New York during her undergraduate studies. This has a major impact on history because without these experiences Madonna would not be as impactful in denying fashion norms as she was. The historical background of this restaurant also stands for what Madonna hoped for which was inclusion. Being in New York it is unsurprising that this restaurant contains a blend of different cultures and social statuses. I have found that this place has a lot of historical significance aside from being related to a world famous star. Restaurants run by Russian immigrants appeared in the late 19th century. Funny enough this restaurant was established by Jakob Zysman who was actually a Polish immigrant who operated a chocolate factory at the little tea room where ballerinas hung out. Even the dishes served reflect the history of its foundation.

12. Steinway Hall, 1925-2014

In 1925, the Steinway and Sons piano company opened a combination recital hall and retail center at this location known as "Steinway Hall." The ornate showrooms were only a block away from Carnegie Hall and replaced the original Steinway Hall, which had opened in 1866 on East 14th. The "new" Steinway Hall of 1925 featured recording studios and opened with a live radio broadcast. Some of the world's most famous pianists and composers performed at this location, including Sergei Rachmaninoff. In 2012, the company announced that they were selling the building and moving their retail outlet to an office building built in the 1970s. The new retail space includes a storefront with large glass windows that may be less of a tourist destination and more of a traditional retail space. “It’s not like somebody who’s just come from a concert [at Carnegie Hall] wanders across the street to buy a piano,” the architect of the new space said in an interview with the New York Times.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Grand Army Plaza to Columbus Circle New York City Walking Tour

Created by Clio Admin on February 13th 2021, 4:20:18 pm.

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Description

Starting at New York's Grand Army Plaza, this tour includes a host of New York landmarks such as the Plaza Hotel as it winds its way along the edge of Central Park along 59th Street to Columbus Square. The tour then returns to its starting place with a walk down 57th Street that includes Carnegie Hall, the Russian Tea Room, and the former home of Steinway Hall. Highlights of the tour include several statues, including those of South American and Cuban icons Simon Bolivar and Jose Marti. This tour is a work in progress, and more entries will be added soon.

Entries on This Tour

Grand Army Plaza to Columbus Circle New York City Walking Tour

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