Ulysses S. Grant Statue in Brooklyn, N.Y. Photo Tour

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Featured Book Reviewer
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Location
Long Island, NY
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Grant Statue Brooklyn, N.Y.
Major General Ulysses S. Grant is remembered at several locations in New York City. Grant's Tomb is the most famous memorial, but the often ignored Grant Statue in Brooklyn is one of the oldest equestrian representations of the general and president. I stopped by Grant Square today on the 155th Anniversary of Grant's July 4, 1863 victory at Vicksburg to take a few pictures.
 
Thanks for sharing this Pat. I missed this when I was in NY recently, but I did visit his tomb which was one of the highlights of my visit. It did seem to be in an out of way place, and wasn't included on any of the city tours :frown: Neither was Sherman's memorial which inadvertently reared up on me as we made our way from Central Park to 5th Avenue!

Not sure why Sherman got the golden statue, but then again Grant never was one to promote himself :wink:
 
Here is another historic photo, likely from the early 1900s. You can see that the statue was not on a traffice island, as it is now, it was simply set on the street. Not too problematic when your traffic is mostly horse drawn, as this scene shows.

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On the immediate right of the statue is the Union League Club.
 
This is a photo of the April 24th 1896 unveiling. Tens of thousands of people participated on a rainy day. Julia Grant was in attendance, Horace Porter gave the keynote and little Ulysses Grant III pulled the cord.

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You can see the 23rd regiment armory in the background with its turret. A hotel is in the near background. Both buildings are still there.
 
The Gore has a small wildflower garden and some small trees, but there is nowhere to sit. Another disadvantage is that unless one stands in the street, it is difficult to fully take in the statue. While the arch at Grand Army Plaza is a viewing delight, the placement of Grant on what is now a very busy intersection with vehicles travelling in excess of 40 mph makes this less than optimal.

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While this was a pricey part of Brooklyn back in the 1880s, by the 1970s it was reeling from the crack epidemic. Frankly, back then I would not have advised you to visit. Now it is pretty safe, but the neighborhood is a mix of rundown housing, amazing brownstones, a homeless shelter, and luxury condos under construction.
 
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