Christopher Columbus Park, Bayshore Dr, Tampa

Columbus Memorial at Bayshore Boulevard and Platt Street, with downtown Tampa to the northeast . 1954. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

Christopher Columbus Memorial Park, 300 Bayshore Blvd, Tampa, FL. 2021. © Chip Weiner

The Christopher Columbus Memorial statue on Bayshore Boulevard was dedicated in 1953 during a three-day ceremony. It was sculpted by Albert Sabas and dedicated to Paul Pupello Longo, founder of the Columbus Association of Tampa. The monument is a life-sized bronze of Columbus with a 16-foot limestone pedestal naming his three ships, Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria, vessels historically thought to have brought Columbus to North America. It also reads, “Erected by Contributions from Patriotic Americans.” When the park initially opened, it was a large grassy area with shrubs, but it is now shaded by oak and palm trees. The reflecting pool in front of the statue has long been out of commission.

For decades, Columbus has been a source of controversy for Native Americans and Florida Indigenous Rights organizations. Along with recent public outcries and vandalism, protesters have demanded the statue’s removal. For several weeks in 2020, the Tampa Police Department stood vigil in the park to prevent vandalism as protests increased. Today the statue remains.

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again Vol. 2