PRESS RELEASE by THE CITY OF JERSEY CITY - THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Stuyvesant Statue Begins Latest Leg of the Journey Home

Statue Will Be Stored at The Beacon for Restoration Before Returning to Bergen Square

At 11:00 a.m. on Friday August 12, 2011 the statute of Peter Stuyvesant by famed sculptor J. Massey Rhind will begin the next leg of its journey home to Bergen Square.

Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, John Hallanan of the Landmarks Conservancy, George Filopolous of The Beacon, Bob Leach Director of the Jersey City Historical Project, and Maryanne Kelleher, Director of Cultural Affairs and Cliff Perkins, Special Events Coordinator of Cultural Affairs will be on site to witness delivery and sign the Bill of Lading, acknowledging safe arrival.

The Peter Stuyvesant statue will be moved from Burns Brothers on Tonnelle Avenue and will be stored in an old ambulance garage at the former Jersey City Medical Center, now called The Beacon. Generously offered by George Filopolous, this space will be the temporary home for the statue during restoration and until a new base can be constructed to accommodate the nearly ten-foot likeness of the last Governor-General of Bergen Village which eventually became Jersey City.

In January 2010, the statue was removed from its original location, on Bergen Avenue in front of School No. 11 in Jersey City, to become the centerpiece of a new park outside the original village walls of Bergen, however, in response to the massive public outcry blasting the move, Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy vowed to return the statue to its rightful place in Jersey City, the original location within Bergen Square.

“The statue of Peter Stuyvesant is an important part of Jersey City’s history and pride,” said Mayor Healy. “Restoring the statue and returning it to its original location is vital to preserving our history. It is also my hope that, together with the efforts of my administration, the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, the Jersey City Board of Education and Hudson County Community College, we can accomplish this.”

Mayor Healy assigned the Jersey City Division of Cultural Affairs and the Jersey City Historical Project to the task of bringing this beloved historically significant public sculpture home to its significant location. These agencies are working in concert with the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, Burns Brothers and the Beacon to coordinate the move, restoration and re-placement.

On January 12, 2011, the Jersey City Municipal Council adopted Resolution 11-009, Authorizing a Bailment Agreement with Beacon Commerce Urban Renewal Company LLC, to store and Preserve the State of Peter Stuyvesant. Among other insurance and delivery incidentals, the resolution recaps the significant dedication of the Stuyvesant monument to the City of Jersey City and states “Whereas, in February of 2010 the statue of Peter Stuyvesant was ordered to be removed from the site by the Jersey City Board of Education and/or the Hudson County Community College without the knowledge or consent of the City of Jersey City.” The Resolution was passed unanimously by the Council.

Fundraising to restore the statue and base are already underway and will continue. The Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy has already raised in excess of $9,000 towards this restoration effort.

Mayor Healy and Councilwoman Nydia Lopez solicited financial support from Hudson County Community College and the Jersey City Board of Education to fund this proper re-location and needed restoration.

“The statute of Peter Stuyvesant belongs in Bergen Square” said John Hallanan, President of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy. “Bergen Square was the very heart of the Dutch community of Bergen, the first permanent settlement in New Jersey. That is why the statue was placed in Bergen Square in 1913 and why it should be returned there. I want to thank Mayor Healy for keeping his promise, and for all the members of his administration who worked so hard to make that promise a reality.”

All media inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Morrill, Press Secretary to Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy at 201-547-4836 or 201-376-0699.

STUYVESANT MOVE IN THE NEWS! Read The Jersey Journal >

STUYVESANT PHOTO GALLERY by REENA ROSE SIBAYAN for THE JERSEY JOURNAL >

Related Article: The Jersey City Independent >

Photos, above & below: The J. Massey Rhind-designed Peter Stuyvesant Monument on delivery day, Friday, August 12, 2011, by Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal.