This past Sunday, a replica of a Christopher Columbus statue was unveiled outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, situated next to the White House. The new 13-foot statue features components from the original statue that was destroyed during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots in Baltimore.
Created in partnership with the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), this installation aligns with the America250 initiative introduced by the Trump Administration.
The original statue, dedicated in October 1984, was located in Baltimore’s Little Italy, near Columbus Piazza. The dedication ceremony was attended by President Ronald Reagan and then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer.
Gifted by the Italian American Organizations United of Maryland, the original statue was crafted from Italian Carrara marble by artist Mauro Bigarani. It stood between 13 and 14 feet tall and featured depictions of Columbus’ ships—Niña, Pinta, and Santa María—alongside an inscription honoring him as the “Discoverer of America.”
On July 4, 2020, amidst widespread protests and violence following George Floyd’s death, the statue was violently toppled and its remnants were discarded into the Jones Falls of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Local artist Tilghman Hemsley coordinated a recovery effort soon after, successfully retrieving about 80% of the broken pieces with the help of dive teams.
Protesters just took down the Christopher Columbus statue in Baltimore’s Little Italy. pic.twitter.com/ViPk5eKOtz
— Louis Krauss (@louiskraussnews) July 5, 2020
Last year, the Trump Administration reached out to sculptor Will Hemsley for the project’s restoration. By utilizing 3-D scans of the salvaged fragments along with a smaller commemorative model, he effectively reassembled the statue as though it were a puzzle, creating a mold for the replica. This new statue is composed of crushed marble dust combined with resin.
Two identical replicas were produced; the one placed at the White House contains elements from the shattered original.
The project garnered support through private donations from the Italian American community, alongside federal grants, including assistance from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The reconstruction was finalized around 2021 but remained in storage due to Baltimore officials’ refusal to reinstall it.
On Sunday, the statue was officially dedicated in a public plaza with visibility from 17th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue.
“Columbus statues have long stood as symbols of pride and cultural identity for more than 18 million Americans of Italian descent,” stated COPOMIAO President Basil M. Russo. “These monuments resonate with the history of overcoming prejudice and hardship faced by Italian immigrants.”
US history reflects that Columbus Day was established following the 1891 lynching of 11 Italian immigrants in New Orleans, which spurred a national movement aimed at promoting the acceptance of Italian Americans. This historical backdrop underlines the significance of these monuments.”
Trump has now installed the Christopher Columbus statue on the White House’s grounds.
He ended up putting it outside the EEOB building, per our photos snapped today. https://t.co/tBR9WvQaXu pic.twitter.com/1VaMVsUTdm
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 22, 2026
