Replica Columbus Statue Installed at White House Amid Historical Revisionism Debate
On March 22, President Trump placed a replica statue of Christopher Columbus on White House grounds near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The sculpture, originally from Baltimore's Little Italy where it stood from 1984 until being toppled by protesters in 2020, was restored by sculptor Tilghman Hemsley and his son Will with funding from Italian American groups and a $30,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant. Italian American organizations gifted the replica to the White House for America 250 celebrations. This installation aligns with Trump's efforts to reinstate Columbus Day and follows broader administration actions including executive orders targeting Smithsonian narratives about slavery and removal of LGBTQ+ references at National Park Service sites.
Key facts
- A replica Christopher Columbus statue was installed at the White House on March 22
- The original statue stood in Baltimore from 1984 until protesters toppled it in 2020
- Sculptor Tilghman Hemsley and his son Will restored the damaged statue with NEH funding
- Italian American organizations gifted the replica for America 250 celebrations
- The installation follows Trump administration efforts to revise historical narratives at federal institutions
Entities
Artists
- Tilghman Hemsley
- Will Hemsley
- Kara Walker
- Maryland artist
Institutions
- White House
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Smithsonian Institution
- National Park Service
- Italian American Organizations United
- Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations
- Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles
- White House Historical Association
- Eisenhower Executive Office Building
- National Endowment for the Arts
Locations
- Washington D.C.
- Baltimore
- Philadelphia
- Manhattan
- United States
- Spain
- Madrid
- Los Angeles
- Washington, D.C.
- Maryland
- Washington