Abingdon Square Park
As its faded inscription reads, this
sculpture was "erected by popular
subscription in honor of the brave men
who went forth from this neighborhood
to join the Armed Forces of the United
States during the World War." The
dramatic bronze statue on a granite
pedestal, dedicated in 1921, is by Philip
Martiny (1858-1927), and depicts a foot
soldier in battle (known commonly in
World War I as a "doughboy"), pistol in
one hand, the other holding a swirling
American flag.
The derivation of the term doughboy
remains in question. It was first used
by the British in the late 18th and early
19th centuries to describe soldiers
and sailors. In the United States the
nickname was coined during the
Mexican-American War (1846-1848),
and was widely popularized during
World War I (1914-1918) to refer to
infantrymen. After the war, in which
Americans saw combat in 1917-18,
numerous communities commissioned
dughboy statues to honor the local war
heroes. The Abingdon Square Doughboy
is one of eight such statues erected in
New York City's parks.
The monument was a gift of the
Jefferson Democratic Club, whose
headquarters once stood opposite this
statue north of the park on the site
now occupied by the residential high
rise at 299 West 12th Street. Philip
Martiny was a well-known sculptor
of his day who received
numerous
public commissions, among them the
statues on the Surrogate Courthouse
in Lower Manhattan, and the Chelsea
Doughboy at 28th Street and 9th
Avenue (for which the same model
posed). The unveiling of the statue is
reported to have been attended by
10,000 spectators, including 200 Gold
Star Mothers (those who lost their
sons in battle), and New York Governor
Alfred E. Smith. In 1993, the statue was
cleaned of soiling and surface corrosion,
repatined, and waxed by the NYC Parks
monuments unit, and since 1996 has
been cared for by NYC Parks' Citywide
Monuments Conservation Program,
supported in part by the Abingdon
Square Conservancy and contributions
from individual donors.
In 2004, during the redesign and
renovation of the park, the monument
was relocated to face the southern
entryway, improving its visibility and
illumination. It remains a focal point
of Abingdon Square and a symbol of
sacrifice and community pride.
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