Landmarks To Discuss Removal Of Teddy Roosevelt Statue From UWS

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The impending removal of the controversial statue of former President Theodore Roosevelt from outside the entrance of the American Museum of Natural History will take another step toward reality next week when the Landmark Preservation Commission reviews an application to remove the statue and modify the nearby stairs.

The bronze sculpture has sat in front of the Upper West Side museum since 1939. The museum is both an individual landmark and part of the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District.

The statue features Roosevelt in the center seated on a horse with a Black man and an Indigenous man below him on either side. Critics of the statue say that the piece of art puts forth an image of racism and colonization — and does not align with the American Museum of Natural History's mission.

In June 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he supported the call by the museum to remove the "problematic statue" of the 26th president. The Roosevelt family also agreed with the choice to remove the statue, stating that it did not represent the former president's legacy.

The UWS Community Board 7 Preservation Committee reviewed an application and passed a resolution in May to remove the statue. The committee also got a first look at the expected new design of the museum's plaza.

• Read More: UWS Community Board Agrees To Remove Teddy Roosevelt Statue

The bronze figure of Roosevelt won't be replaced by another statue, but a subtle text carved into the plaza with a brief history of the "Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt." A set of stairs from the sidewalk level will also be connected with the main staircase to the entrance doors.

It is also not clear where the statue will get moved to.

None of these changes can happen, though, unless the Landmarks Preservation Commission approves it.

The meeting to discuss the statue will take place Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.

You can find out how to join the public meeting here.