| USSMaine National Monument | |
|---|---|
_Monument_Columbus_Circle_NYC.JPG) The monument in 2012 | |
 Location in New York City | |
| Year | 1912 (1912) |
| Type |
|
| Location | New York City,New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°46′06″N73°58′52″W / 40.768242°N 73.981012°W /40.768242; -73.981012 |
TheUSSMaine National Monument is an outdoor monument located at the Merchants' Gate entrance toCentral Park, atColumbus Circle, inManhattan,New York City. It was cast on September 1, 1912 and dedicated on May 30, 1913 to the men killed aboardUSS Maine (ACR-1) when the ship exploded inHavana harbor.[1]
In 1913, a USSMaine Monument designed byHarold Van Buren Magonigle was completed and dedicated in New York City. The monument consists of a pylon with a fountain at its base and sculptures byAttilio Piccirilli surrounding it.[2] A sculpture group of gilded bronze figures atop the pylon representColumbia Triumphant, her seashell chariot being drawn by threehippocampi, modeled byAudrey Munson. The bronze for this group reportedly came from metal recovered from the guns of theMaine. On the park side of the monument is fixed a memorial plaque that was cast in metal salvaged from the ship.[1] It is not known how many of these plaques by sculptorCharles Keck were produced, but they can be found in many locations across the United States.[3] They were cast by theJno Williams Bronze Foundry and widely publicized.[4]
On April 22, 2021, the memorial was vandalized during a protest in Columbus Circle. The memorial was sprayed with graffiti including "ACAB" (meaningall cops are bastards) and "Stonewall was a Riot" (in reference to theStonewall Riots that occurred inGreenwich Village on June 28, 1969).[5][6]
Distinguished Guests and Imposing Ceremonies at the Dedication on Memorial Day—Fleet of Seventeen Ships and 5,000 Bluejackets Will Participate.
Media related toUSSMaine National Monument at Wikimedia Commons
