Fitz-Greene Halleck statue in the Central Park

The statue of Fitz-Greene Halleck is one of 29 statues in Central Park, New York located on Literary Walk – the southern end of Central Park’s Mall. It is the least known figure.

Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790–1867) was a writer of satirical and romantic verse and he wrote also essays. He was a prominent member of the Knickerbocker Group a society of writers who sought to promote New York City as a literary center. For many years he worked as a personal secretary to the eminent John Jacob Astor.

The statue was commissioned upon Halleck death by William Cullen Bryant and General James Grant Wilson. It was created by the sculptor James Wilson Alexander MacDonald in 1876 and it was dedicated to the Park on May 15, 1877. The ceremony was attended by U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes, as well as his entire cabinet.

The bronze statue depicts Fitz-Greene Halleck in elegant attire, seated with his legs crossed in an ornate Victorian armchair, pen in his right hand and booklet in his left.