Continental Army Plaza

Continental Army Plaza serves as the grand entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge, anchored by a striking bronze equestrian statue of George Washington. Unlike the many monuments that depict the first president in a moment of triumphant glory, this sculpture captures him during the brutal winter at Valley Forge. He sits on his horse looking pensive and vulnerable, wrapped in a heavy cloak that barely shields him from the elements. The statue was the first major public work of sculptor Henry Mervin Shrady, who won a design competition in 1901 to create this piece. It was cast locally at the Roman Bronze Works in Greenpoint and unveiled in 1906 to a crowd of 40,000 people.