Firemen’s Memorial, 1914.

The Firemen’s Memorial at Riverside Park was conceived in 1907, following the death of Deputy Fire Chief Charles W. Kruger. The monument, completed in 1913, commemorates the service of the scores of New York City firefighters who perished in an era when serious fires were a frequent and perilous occurrence.

The memorial consisted of a balustraded plaza by architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle, and monument including a bas-relief work (later replaced by a bronze replica) and allegorical sculptures by Attilio Piccirilli.