• Sculptor: William Ordway Partridge
  • Dedicated: 1892
  • Medium and size: Bronze (8 feet), granite pedestal (approximately 8 feet)
  • Location: Former site of Hamilton Grange, 287 Convent Avenue, between West 141st and 142nd Streets
Partridge, Hamilton, 1892. Near Hamilton Grange. Photo copyright © 2015 Dianne L. Durante

A Brief History of Hamilton, the Sculpture

This Hamilton was commissioned for the Hamilton Club in Brooklyn Heights, which an 1895 New York Times article darkly suggested was “a Republican game under a non-partisan cover.”

Hamilton at Remsen and Clinton Sts., Brooklyn

The statue stood in Brooklyn until 1936, when the Club’s Italianate headquarters was razed. The statue was donated to Hamilton Grange, the “country house” that was almost completed when Hamilton dueled with Burr in the summer of 1804.

Lifesize sculptures in New York move more often than one might expect, but in this case, the sculpture held still while the building next to it moved. In 2008, the Grange was levered out of its site next to a church and trundled a block south to St. Nicholas Park, where it has undergone a glorious renovation. The sculpture of Hamilton, alas, was left on Convent Avenue, for lack of funds to move it. 

More

  • For more on this sculpture, and other sculptures of Hamilton in Manhattan, see Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide and this blog post.
  • In Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love, I demonstrate a method for looking at sculptures in detail, in depth, and on your own. Learn to enjoy your favorite sculptures more, and find new favorites. Available on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. More here.
  • Want wonderful art delivered weekly to your inbox? Check out my free Sunday Recommendations list and my Patreon page (free or by subscription): details here.