In 1773, the city passed an anti-graffiti and anti-desecration law to counter vandalism against the monument, and a protective cast-iron fence was built along the perimeter of the park costing 800 pou; the fence is still extant, making it the city's oldest fence. This fence is an example of pre-Revolutionary War ironworks.

 On July 9, 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was read to Washington's troops at the current site of City Hall, local Sons of Liberty rushed down Broadway to Bowling Green to topple the statue of King George III; in the process, the finials of the fence were sawn off.  

On August 21, 1770, the British government erected a 4,000-pound (1,800 kg) gilded lead equestrian statue of King George III in Bowling Green.

'Erected by the commons council in 1771, this fence surrounds New York's earliest park. The park was leased in 1733 for use as a Bowling Green at a rental of one peppercorn a year. Patriots who in 1776 destroyed an equestrian statue of George in which stood here are said to have removed the crowns which carried the fence posts by the fence itself remains.Plaque erected 1994 byThe New York Community Trust'

In 1773, the city passed an anti-graffiti&amp;nbsp;and anti-desecration&amp;nbsp;law to counter vandalism against the King George III monument

by Sculptor Joseph Wilton in Roman Garb victory celebration after the Seven Years War amid a lot of protests.&nbsp;In 1773, the city passed an anti-graffiti&nbsp;and anti-desecration&nbsp;law to counter vandalism against the monument, and a protective cast-iron fence was built along the perimeter of the park; the fence is still extant, making it the city's oldest fence.

Bowling Green Park Fence

 At Bowling Green, Kaplan talks about Evacuation Day, the departure of the British from New York City, and Charging Bull, a popular statue representing the spirit of Wall Street and American capitalism. 

The Statue was installed on the birthday of Prince Frederick, George III's son. &nbsp;The celebration included members of the Colonial and city governments, the Corporations of the Chambers of Commerce, and the Marine Society as well as the officers of the Royal Army &amp; Navy waiting with the Lieutenant Governor at the fort nearby, where toasts were drunk to the accompaniment of military music and artillery.&nbsp;With the rapid deterioration of relations with Britain after 1770, the statue became a magnet for the Bowling Green protests. In 1773, the city passed an anti-graffiti and anti-desecration law to counter vandalism against the monument, and a protective cast-iron fence was built along the perimeter of the park which cost nearly as much as the sculpture; the fence is still extant, making it the city's oldest fence.

After the reading of the Declaration of Independence, the soldiers joined by members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/people/sons-of-liberty">Sons of Liberty&nbsp;</a>marched down&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/site/broadway">Broadway&nbsp;</a>and turned their attention to the&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/site/statue-of-king-george-iii-erected">gilded&nbsp;equestrian&nbsp;statue of King George</a>&nbsp;in the Center of&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/site/bowling-green">Bowling Green</a>.&nbsp; Armed with axes,&nbsp;&nbsp;they made quick work of the 2 ton sculpture.&nbsp; Lead which was in short supply in the colonies was much needed for ammunition.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of it was loaded into oxcarts and was brought to Litchfield, Connecticut where&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/people/oliver-wolcott">General Oliver Wolcott's&nbsp;</a>foundry&nbsp;melted it&nbsp;down into 42,088 bullets.&nbsp; That actually used only one ton of lead.&nbsp; Consequently, a lot of the pieces went missing.&nbsp; King George's head was put on a spike and was placed outside of a tavern near Fort Washington.&nbsp; British Captain&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/people/80e7a7d6-77fb-4804-8e2e-cf7b8d1252db">John Montresor</a>&nbsp;rescued it and had it sent back to England where it ended up in the estate of&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/people/a3ba0e97-0568-42e2-b709-b3669b0880b8">Charles Townshend</a>.&nbsp; The tail ended up at the&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/people/new-york-historical-society">New York Historical Society</a>.&nbsp; It is currently on loan to the&nbsp;<a href="https://culturenow.org/people/museum-of-the-american-revolution-moar">Museum of the American Revolution</a>.&nbsp; Some of it was buried in loyalist estates in Connecticut. Every so often a piece is discovered and auctioned off.&nbsp;&nbsp;In retaliation for the destruction of King George III's statue the statue of William Pitt was destroyed by the British.

The large gilded statue of King George III crowned with a laurel wreath was commissioned to commemorate the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Bowling Green

Davis Swamp

Oliver Wolcott House

Part of the marble pedestal installed it as a kitchen step before being gifted to the NY Historical Society

Cornelius Van Vorst House

New York Historical Society

Statue of King George III

A talk by Abby Suckle at Fraunces Tavern Museum, New York on July 4, 2024

Captain Oliver Reed Brown. Born in Lexington, Massachusetts, he witnessed key events like the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre, which fueled his revolutionary zeal. He volunteered at the first major battle of the Revolutionary War in Lexington and later joined the Army.Brown was commissioned as Captain-Lieutenant of the artillery in 1776. He led the group that tore down the statue of King George III in New York City the same year. His military career included commanding artillery at several battles and crossing the Delaware with George Washington.Despite his contributions, Brown's legacy is often overshadowed by more famous figures of the era. His life serves as a reminder of the many unsung heroes who played crucial roles in the formation of the United States.

North side of Massachusetts Avenue (between Maple Street and Marrett Avenue)

Oliver Brown

SITES

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS