Civic Center in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Abraham De Peyster Statue
Thomas Paine Park
This impressive bronze statue, created by American sculptor George Edwin Bissell (1839-1920), depicts mayor Abraham De Peyster (1657-1728). Born in New Amsterdam (now known as “Manhattan”), De Peyster came from a prosperous mercantile family. In his youth he spent nine years working on the family farm in the Netherlands, before returning in 1684 to New Amsterdam. He quickly ascended the city’s political ladder, occupying almost all of the important colonial offices, including alderman, mayor, member of the King’s Council, and acting governor. De Peyster amassed great wealth, and by the end of his life is said to have been one of the city’s wealthiest merchants.
In the late 19th century, John Watts De Peyster, Abraham’s great-great-great grandson, commissioned this statue. Bissell, whose family ran a marble company in Poughkeepsie, New York, sculpted the piece in his studio in Mount Vernon, New York, and cast the bronze at the E. Gruet foundry in Paris. He also sculpted the portrait of President Chester A. Arthur (1898) located in Madison Square Park, as well as that of John Watts in Trinity Church Cemetery. He depicted De Peyster, spotting a lavish cloak, army boots, and sword in hand denoting his political and military roles in the colonial government.
The De Peyster sculpture was originally placed in the center of nearby Bowling Green Park in 1896 at a site once occupied by a state of King George III. Vandalism of the statue required replication of a bronze tassel in 1912, prompted the resetting of the sword in 1939, and an overall conservation effort in 1942. In 1972, park and subway renovations at Bowling Green forced removal of the statue. It was relocated four years later on a new pink granite pedestal (on which the original inscription was transcribed) in Hanover Square. In 1999, the statue was conserved by Parks’ Citywide Monuments Conservation program, a public-private initiative, which removed advanced corrosion, repatined the bronze surface and applied protective coverings.
The World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001 again brought about the displacement of the de Peyster sculpture, when in 2003 Hanover Square was redesigned and dedicated to the memory of British victims on 9/11. After a prolonged search for a new home in Lower Manhattan, city officials selected a recessed niche in the northern pathway of Thomas Paine Park, as an appropriate location for De Peyster—resonant in historical associations from early Dutch settlement to later immigrant arrivals. The sculpture was reinstalled there in December 2013, and a bronze marker set in the pavement to identify the subject and artist. On July 3, 2014, the 357th anniversary of de Peyster’s baptism, the sculpture was rededicated in the presence of more than two dozen of de Peyster’s descendants, city officials, and the Netherlands Consul General.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Colonial Era • Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #21 Chester A. Arthur, and the NYC Parks series lists.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 40° 42.918′ N, 74° 0.171′ W. Marker was in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It was in Civic Center. Marker was on Lafayette Street near Worth Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: New York NY 10013, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Abraham De Peyster (here, next to this marker); Foley Square c. 1880 (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Paine Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Foley Square c. 1800 (within shouting distance of this marker); Foley Square Before 1600 (within shouting distance of this marker); Triumph of the Human Spirit (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); New York County Court House (about 400 feet away); African Burial Ground (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden at Hanover Square, the staute's previous location.
Also see . . . Thomas Payne Park: Abraham De Peyster. Official NYC Parks description (Submitted on January 15, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 428 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 12, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 2. submitted on May 27, 2022. 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 12, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.