George Washington, Union Square Park – New York, New York

I planned to move north from lower Manhattan to document pre-determined sites and capture worthwhile observations. And I needed to get to 50th Street by evening — a complete walking tour would be infeasible. I got off the subway at Union Square Park expecting my first target building but found George instead. I had made a mistake. My desired building was another 1/2 mile north.

However, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States made a handsome sight. He’s George Washington, of course, sitting proudly on the horse.

The statue was dedicated in 1856 and is the oldest sculpture in New York City Parks collection. I suppose he is so famous that he needs no visible identification. I found no inscriptions or plaques. But is that true in 2023? How many people can identify this man? I found it odd not to have any details.

I decided to continue west instead of north. The target building would have to wait.

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