President's Day for too long has been about buying an automobile from a car dealer. This year take a moment to explore the Presidents within your own neighborhood by visiting dedicated sculptures and maybe a park or two. There are many places in the city that have honored the Presidents; here are a few in the Park Slope/Gowanus area.
This bust of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President, sits on the far north side of Grand Army Plaza. This sculpture of President Kennedy was originally erected in 1965, but took up until August of last year to be finalized. The bust of the former President was adjusted and given a different stand during a resent renovation. Brooklyn's own Neil Estern created this piece and was on hand last year for it's dedication.
This handsome man is of course Abraham Lincoln. This sculpture by Henry Kirke Brown has an interesting story because it was first placed in the Elliptical Plaza (now Grand Army Plaza) in 1869, but for one reason or another (maybe political) the statue was removed and placed (abandoned) in Prospect Park's Concert Grove in 1896. There it sat falling in to disrepair, until an extensive renovation was done during the late 1980's. The beautiful and improved statue still sits in the Concert Grove, but according to the New York Post the statue may return to Grand Army Plaza soon. The statue probably will not sit in it's originally position since there is currently the bust of JFK in that particular location. see: NYPost.com
You can find another sculpture of honest Abe still in Grand Army Plaza on the Civil War arch known as Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial. This fine Roman style arch is similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and also features the United States 18th President Ulysses S. Grant. Both Grant and Lincoln are mounted heroically on horseback as reliefs on the inside of the arch. These bronze reliefs were done by both William Rudolf O'Donovan (figures) & Thomas Eakins (horses). The Soldier's and Sailors' Memorial Arch was designed by John H. Duncan and was completed in 1892. The Arch became a designated landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in October of 1973.
Washington Park, also still known as J.J. Byrne Park, is a staple of Park Slope's 5th Avenue. It was originally named to honor America's first President George Washington, but was briefly changed to honor Brooklyn's Borough President James J. Byrne. The name was only recently changed back to Washington Park. The park contains the Old Stone House from the Revolutionary War's Battle for Brooklyn (aka Battle for Long Island). The Old Stone House is where General William Alexander fought British troops so, at the time, General George Washington could escape across the Gowanus Creek (now part of the Gowanus Canal).
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| Artist rendition of what it might of look like when Washington crossed the Gowanus |
Of course this city has a ton of other great historical sites. Please check out brooklynhistory.org & NYCGovParks.org for more information or just for the fun of it.
*caution facts could be historically accurate or could be something you tell tourist.
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