Controversial Columbus Circle Statue Gets Honored By State

COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NY — The statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus — which stands 70-feet-tall in the middle of Columbus Circle — was listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

The state Board for Historic Preservation voted unanimously to list the statue on the state registry in September, Cuomo said. Cuomo vowed to protect the statue in 2017 when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio established the Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers — prompting some city officials and advocates for indigenous and colonized peoples to call for the statue's removal.

"The Columbus Monument is a powerful symbol of the Italian-American community and a testament to New York's role in assimilating immigrants from all over the world in our state," Cuomo said in a statement. "This designation sends a strong message of the statue's importance to our state's history and how worthy it is of preservation so that future generations cans see it, appreciate it and learn from it."

While the statue represents ethnic pride for New York City's Italian-American community, others argue it honors a colonizer whose actions resulted in mass death.

"When we look at history we have to look at it thoroughly and he is a controversial figure," former City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito said in 2017. "I know some people may take offense to that but for many of us that come from the Caribbean islands, we see him as a controversial figure."

The mayor's commission recommended placing historical markers detailing the history of Columbus and the monument within Columbus Circle, the city announced. The city will also commission a monument to Indigenous peoples at a location to be determined.

Some recommendations regarding the debate that the city did not act on include the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Day and the creation of a literacy program with the Department of Education to further educate people on Columbus' controversy.

The state Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department nominated the statue for a designation on the National Register of Historic Places immediately after the statue made the state list, officials said. The nomination was sponsored by the Columbus Heritage Coalition — the organization that conducts the yearly Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue.

The Columbus statue was built in 1892 using funds raised by Carlo Barsotti — the founder of the country's first Italian-language newspaper "Il Progresso." The Gaetano Russo-designed sculpture was erected as Italian immigrants faced prejudice in the United States and attempted to assimilate into mainstream American culture, state officials said.

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