USS Maine National Monument, Naval memorial at Merchants' Gate, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, United States
The USS Maine National Monument stands at Merchants' Gate, the Columbus Circle entrance to Central Park. A tall granite pylon rises from a stepped base, with a fountain at its foot and marble figures by Attilio Piccirilli reclining and standing around the lower front. Gilded bronze figures crown it: Columbia Triumphant in a seashell chariot drawn by three hippocampi, modeled by Audrey Munson. A curved marble exedra with a bronze figure extends to the right.
The monument was cast on September 1, 1912, and dedicated on May 30, 1913, to the men killed aboard USS Maine (ACR-1) when the ship exploded in Havana Harbor. It was designed by architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle, with sculptures by Attilio Piccirilli. On April 22, 2021, it was sprayed with graffiti during a protest at Columbus Circle.
The gilded crowning group is Columbia Triumphant, her seashell chariot drawn by three hippocampi; the model was Audrey Munson. On the park side a memorial plaque by Charles Keck, cast in metal salvaged from the ship, is fixed to the monument; copies were produced by the Jno Williams Bronze Foundry and placed in many locations across the United States.
The memorial stands at Columbus Circle where multiple subway stations and bus routes converge, making it easily accessible. The best time to visit is early morning or on quieter weekdays when crowds are thinner.
The bronze sculptures were cast from metal recovered from the guns of the sunken ship, giving the memorial a direct physical connection to the tragedy. This material links the memory of those lost directly to the artwork itself.
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