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Firemen's Memorial

Firemen's Memorial is a 1913 monument on Riverside Drive at 100th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It was created to honor firefighters who died in the line of duty, following the death of fire department subchief Charles W. Kruger in 1907. The memorial was designed by architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle, with sculptures by Attilio Piccirilli. The site includes a grand staircase, a plaza with balustrades, and a Knoxville marble monument. Its central feature is a large bas-relief of a horse-drawn engine rushing toward a fire, flanked by sculptural groups representing Duty and Sacrifice.

Firemen\'s Memorial with a stone relief of horses pulling a wagon, flanked by statues and wreaths.
The Firemen\'s Memorial features a central relief panel, flanking statues, and floral wreaths at the base.
October 2008 © · Public domain
Firemen\'s Memorial stone monument with a bas-relief panel, wreaths at the base, and ornate lampposts along Riverside Drive.
The Firemen\'s Memorial on Riverside Drive, shown with wreaths placed at its base.
September 2014 © · CC BY 3.0
Firemen\'s Memorial stone monument with carved inscriptions and sculpted figures beside bare trees.
The Firemen\'s Memorial stands outdoors beneath an overcast sky.
December 2008 © · Public domain
The Firemen\'s Memorial beside a broad stone stairway between two apartment buildings, with bare trees and a crosswalk in front.
The Firemen\'s Memorial rises between Riverside Drive buildings near the base of a broad stone stairway.
December 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Firemen\'s Memorial beside a wide brick stairway, with lampposts, bare trees, and a tall brick apartment building in the background.
Firemen\'s Memorial stands near a broad brick stairway at the foot of a Riverside Drive apartment building.
December 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleFiremen's Memorial
TypeMemorial monument
Original Spanish nameMonumento conmemorativo a los bomberos

Historical context

Date1913
PurposeTo commemorate firefighters who died in the line of duty
InspirationThe deaths of firefighters in New York, especially the 1907 drowning death of Deputy Fire Chief Charles W. Kruger in a flooded basement on Canal Street
Historical contextNew York had suffered major fires in the 18th and 19th centuries, and firefighting remained dangerous despite improvements in fire safety in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Creator

Related workStudy of a Head
Architect's other worksMcKinley Memorial Mausoleum in Ohio; Liberty Memorial in Missouri
Sculptor's trainingStudied marble carving in his father's studio in Italy before moving to the United States in 1888
Prior collaborationMagonigle and Piccirilli had previously collaborated on the USS Maine National Monument in Central Park
Model used for female figuresAudrey Munson
Same model used forThe female figures in both the Firemen's Memorial and the USS Maine National Monument
Architect's backgroundA New Jersey native and successful architect of monuments
ArchitectHarold Van Buren Magonigle
SculptorAttilio Piccirilli

Discovery and provenance

FundingThe Board of Estimate and Apportionment granted $40,000 on July 17, 1911, and an additional $50,500 was raised through public subscription
Originally planned locationUnion Square
Committee leadershipBishop Henry C. Potter established and chaired the committee to build the monument; he was succeeded as chairman by Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's
Main advocateBishop Henry C. Potter

Location and ownership

Inscription locationOn the reverse of the monument
Location of related workThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
Current locationRiverside Drive at 100th Street, Manhattan, New York City, United States, beside Riverside Park
SettingFashionable Riverside Drive beside Frederick Law Olmsted's English-style rustic Riverside Park

Physical characteristics

Site compositionA grand staircase rising from the west, a balustraded plaza, and a box-like monument structure
Water featureA fountain extending from the monument structure

Materials

MaterialKnoxville marble

Technique

Sculptural techniqueBas-relief

Appearance

South groupThe same woman holding a child, presumably the widow and child of the dead firefighter
North groupA woman cradling the lifeless body of a firefighter
Stylistic featureSimple, classical drapery rather than contemporary costume
Flanking sculptural groupsSculptural groups to the north and south representing Duty and Sacrifice
Relief sceneA large bas-relief of a horse-drawn engine rushing to a fire

Iconography and meaning

Critical receptionDianne Durante described the southern group as "wrenching"
Art-historical comparisonDianne Durante compared the northern group to Michelangelo's sculpture of a grieving Madonna
Artistic deviceThe horse-drawn engine was chosen instead of an unemotional motorized engine to convey urgency and drama
Subject matterFirefighters and the death of a fireman, with mourning figures including a widow and child
Dedication themeFirefighting service and sacrifice

History and restoration

Dedication dateSeptember 5, 1913
Annual ceremonyAn autumn ceremony is held at the memorial every year to honor firefighters who died in the line of duty; the mayor, the fire commissioner, and thousands of firefighters attend
September 11 commemorationSince the September 11, 2001 attacks, the annual ceremony has also been held on September 11 each year
Bronze plaqueInstalled in 1927 in the plaza below the monument by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; dedicated to the horses that once pulled firefighters' wagons
Bronze tabletInstalled in 1927 in the plaza beneath the memorial by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; dedicated to the horses which, in earlier years, pulled the fire department's engines

Significance

Post-2001 significanceThe memorial gained greater importance after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when 343 New York City firefighters died responding to the attacks and the collapse of the World Trade Center; in the weeks after the attacks, the memorial became a shrine for them