The Carrère and Hastings Memorial in Manhattan: A Memorial Designed by the

The Carrère and Hastings Memorial, located at the intersection of 43rd Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, is a testament to the talent and skill of its creators, Thomas Hastings. These architects were responsible for some of the city’s most iconic buildings, such as the New York Public Library and the Ponce de León Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida. However, this particular memorial holds a special significance that sets it apart from their usual work.

Thomas Hastings was born in New York City, and studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After returning to New York and working for McKim, Mead and White, he teamed up with John Merven Carrère to form Carrère and Hastings, a partnership that lasted until Carrère's death in an automobile accident in 1911. The firm focused on Beaux-Arts architecture and was active from 1885 until 1929. The Carrère and Hastings Memorial was erected in 1919, just eight years after Carrère's death.

The memorial is made of granite and bears the inscription 'City of New York John Merven Carrere Memorial 1919 Thomas Hastings Designer Restored 2012 Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor Scott M. Stringer, Borough President Inez Dickens, Council Member Veronica M. White, Commissioner Parks & Recreation'. Interestingly, the memorial was designed by Hastings himself, not Carrère as previously stated. According to some reports, the memorial's height is intentionally designed to be at the same height as a fully-grown Hastings, so that he could carve it while seated on top of it after his burial.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons