Must-See Public Art: Lincoln Was Here
A life-sized bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln in Peekskill tells the story of Lincoln’s only visit to Westchester more than 150 years ago. The statue captures the President-elect during his stop in Peekskill on February 19, 1861, during his inaugural train trip from Illinois to Washington D.C. At the train depot, the soon-to-be President gave a brief but powerful address, in which he implored more than 1,000 Peekskill residents for support in the emerging secession conflict.
To commemorate this historical event, members of the Lincoln Society in Peekskill, along with its president, former Mayor of Peekskill John G. Testa, had the statue installed in 2007. Lincoln in Peekskill stands at that very same 19th century train depot where Lincoln’s speech took place, now also the site of the Lincoln Depot Museum (LDM).
Designed and created by the late sculptor Richard Masloski, the 2007 statue depicts the artist’s vision of what Lincoln might have looked like as he spoke to Peekskill citizens during his address. Masloski incorporated illuminating components into the statue, such as a solid black granite base to represent the baggage car that Lincoln climbed before he made his speech. He also gave the statue Lincoln’s exact height to portray the audience’s authentic view as they heard him speak.
A version of this article first appeared in the March issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
