Standing atop the center of the circle since October 12, 1892 in celebration of 400th anniversary of his “discovery” of the New World, and the point from which all points to/from New York City are measured, Christopher Columbus is here to stay! Quietly approved before Columbus Day this past October, it is now official that the Gaetano Russo sculpted Columbus, paid for by funds raised by the New York City-based Italian-language newspaper Il Progresso (now defunct) is safe from relocation. Standing atop the 70-foot tall granite rostral column, the bronze statue looks south and is augmented by bronze reliefs of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. This victory column originated in Ancient Greece, namely to celebrate a naval military victory. The war between Mayor deBlasio’s commission and the Governor is over on this one as the final word says, it stays!
Once the National Register report is available, we will post it here.