Editor’s note: Bruce Bouchard is former executive director of The Paramount Theatre. John Turchiano, his friend for 52 years, was formerly the editor of Hotel Voice, a weekly newspaper on the New York Hotel Trades Council. They are co-authoring this column to tell short stories on a wide range of topics.
Author’s note: October 12 is recognized as Indigenous Peoples Day (formerly Columbus Day), marking the date in 1492 when the explorer first went ashore in the New World. On the 400th anniversary of that event, following the murder of 11 Italian immigrants in New Orleans—the largest mass lynching in U.S. history—President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day as a national observance.
Many Vermonters are aware that some of the most iconic use of marble (in places like Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York City) came from right here in Vermont. The densest marble is dug from the Danby Marble site, the deepest mine in the world is the Proctor Mines and there are many other smaller mines throughout southern Vermont. What might not be known is that six Italian immigrant brothers who came to this country in the late 19th century became the most revered carvers of large public statuary and ornamental works beloved the world over. They were the Piccirilli brothers.
Stone monuments are far more difficult to create as opposed to other materials. Unlike sculptures made from plaster casts, mistakes in stone can be permanent or at least quite troublesome to correct. The slip of a hand, a slight chisel miss, or a fault in the granite, marble or limestone can all ruin weeks or even months of hard work. Nevertheless, the U.S. is dotted with some of the world’s most marvelous stone monuments, pediments, cornices, bas- reliefs and sculptures. New York City is a good example.
At the southwestern entrance to Central Park stands the 57-foot-high U.S.S. Maine National Monument, featuring a stone carving that honors the American sailors lost when their U.S. Navy vessel exploded and sank in 1898 in Havana harbor, leading to the the Spanish-American War. Travel south in Manhattan and you’ll find on Wall Street the inspiring pediment of the New York Stock Exchange, all of it carved in stone. The striking facade consists of 11 figures, a classically robed female figure standing on a stepped base, flanked by figures representing the “works of man” that are positioned around her. So commanding is this work of artistic stone carving one would expect to see it in Rome, not New York City.
And yet not too far away from the Stock Exchange, at the southern tip of Manhattan, is the equally impressive “Four Continents,” a quartet of massive marble masterpieces that stand outside the Alexander Hamilton custom House. The statues depict much larger-than-life-sized personifications of Asia, America, Europe, and Africa. The primary figures are female, but there are equally striking additional stone figures alongside them.
Then travel uptown again to 42nd St. and you will find the most popular lions outside of Africa. Their names, bestowed on them by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, are patience and fortitude, virtues he thought were necessary for New Yorkers to get through the Great Depression. The two lions guard the entrance to one of the most impressive book repositories in the world, the colossal New York City Public Library. The granite lions often sport accoutrements relative to the season. They can wear scarves in the winter, Santa hats on Christmas Day, and Yankee caps if the Bombers make it to the playoffs. And Patience and Fortitude are not the only stone carvings at the library. The front cornice has six separate stone sculptures symbolizing understanding, wisdom and knowledge, among other attributes the library can bestow on those who enter it.
Hop on the subway down to West 4th St. and you’ll find the magnificent Washington Square Arch at the foot of Fifth Avenue. It was built to honor the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration, and it is constructed of white marble from Tuckahoe, a hamlet only 18 miles from Manhattan. It was conceived by famed architect Stanford White, although the design is suspiciously similar to the first century, Arch of Titus that still stands in Rome. The arch features sculptures of “George Washington at War” and “George Washington at Peace,” and there are many other carved figures and inscriptions throughout the monument.
There are also stone carvings in the other boroughs of New York, including Civic Virtue, a gorgeous granite sculpture that stands outside City Hall in the borough of Queens. And the façade of the Brooklyn Public Library is replete with bas-relief carved figures that are stunning to the eye.
As varied as they are, all of these glorious New York City stone carvings have something in common. They were all created by the Piccirilli brothers, Attilio, Ferrucio, Furio, Getulio, Masaniello and Orazio, all of whom immigrated to the U.S. from Italy, along with their father, Giuseppe, in 1887.
Today, very few people know who the Piccirilli brothers were. Almost no one outside the art world has even heard of them, which is remarkable because tens of millions of people know and admire their work. That’s because their creations can be found not just in New York City, which was their home, but throughout the United States.
As an example, the entrance of the Pennsylvania State Capitol showcases a pair of striking multi-figure sculptures, a testament to the artistry of the Piccirilli brothers. Also in Harrisburg is “The Prodigal Son,” carved by the Piccirilli brothers in New York City in 1909. This work is so beautiful and so inspiring replicas were created and now sit in Louisville and Pittsburgh. The “Pioneer Woman,” a marble carving commissioned by the state of Texas and enshrined at Texas University. The Westinghouse Memorial in Pittsburgh and the stirring Princeton Battle Monument in New Jersey are other examples of massive stone carvings by the Piccirilli brothers.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery was carved by the Piccirilli brothers. And in Washington, D.C., there are more massive works that were all created by these Italian artisans. The Dupont Circle Fountain honors Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont. The George Meade Memorial is a huge public monument honoring the career military officer who is best known for defeating General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg. On the pediment at the east entrance to the U.S Capitol, which is the gateway to the House of Representatives, is the “Apotheosis of Democracy,” a dramatic marble depiction of George Washington and numerous other human figures. All were carved by the Piccirilli brothers.
And, of course, the Piccirilli brothers carved the colossal, brooding figure of Abraham Lincoln that sits in Washington’s Lincoln Memorial. It was created at what is now a vacant lot in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, by the six brothers who left their mark as stone carvers all over America. The 170-ton statue is composed of white Georgia marble and rises 30 feet from the floor, including the 19-foot tall seated Lincoln. The figure of Lincoln gazes with an expression of gravity and wisdom. A large United States flag is draped over his chair, which is a semi-circular ceremonial seat similar to those from the Roman Empire. It’s a beautiful work of art, history and symbolism that has evoked awe in the millions who have gazed upon it.
It’s doubtful that until just now many who are reading this had ever heard of the Piccirilli brothers, even though you have either seen in person or know of some of the great contributions they made to America. Their Italian ethnicity is the reason they aren’t well known. Their services were in demand at a time when anti-Italian sentiment was rife in the U.S. The largest mass lynching in U.S. history occurred only four years after the Piccirillis arrived in the U.S., when 11 Italian Americans were strung up in New Orleans. All 11 were completely innocent of the crime for which they were accused. Perhaps due to the anti-Italian sentient so prevalent in the U.S. at the time, the Piccirilli brothers seldom if ever signed their works. And though they are a significant part of Americana their names are generally absent from our history books. Perhaps it’s time that their names receive the enduring place in our nation’s annals that they deserve. In fact, their contributions to our country are so inspiring perhaps their names should be written in stone.
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A lion statue guards the entrance of the NYC public library (L) and stone carvings at the Alexander Hamilton Custom House in southern end of Manhattan (R) feature Vermont marble.
