The Columbus Park statue of Christopher Columbus was removed following a July 7 announcement from Mayor W. Reed Gusciora stating that the Trenton statue would be taken down and placed in storage.
Additionally, the park is set to be renamed. No timeline has been set for that process, according to the mayor’s office.
The statue was located at the north end of Columbus Park in the Chambersburg neighborhood.
“The statue of Christopher Columbus, long held in the park of the same name, will be taken down and placed in storage,” Gusciora said in a press release. “We’re grateful for the community input we’ve received on both sides of the issue, but what we know about Columbus simply makes his image a poor fit for a city that is as diverse as Trenton. We will continue to engage the community on where the statue should go and what the new name of the park will be.”
In recent weeks, the mayor had been moving towards the decision to ultimately remove the statue. Although it was the mayor’s decision to move forward with the removal, he has been soliciting feedback from the community on ideas of where to move the statue and what the park should be called.
A community meeting was held earlier this week, which consisted of concerned current and past members of the community, to discuss the decision. A private community meeting of stakeholders was also set up earlier this week to discuss moving the statue and renaming the park as well.
“The current national debate on racial justice has led to a long-overdue examination of how we honor our past, including our statues, monuments, and the names of our parks and schools,” Gusciora said in a press release. “Our communities rightfully expect that the individuals we celebrate actually represent the principles of freedom and equality that we all hold dear.”
For more information on Trenton, visit trentonnj.org or call (609) 989-3000.
