Patricia N. Saffran Independence Day celebrants in New York City on July 4, 1856, were thrilled with the unveiling of the colossal George Washington equestrian statue in Union Square. The New York Herald reported that year on July 5th “When the covering fell, revealing the familiar lineaments of Washington, the universal burst of enthusiasm which arose from troops and citizens in salutation almost drowned the salvos of artillery.” “The statue itself is fourteen feet high. It was cast at Chicopee, Mass, and and weighs 4 tons. It occupied the artist…
