Construction Around Mitchell Square Park Comes Down After Years

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — It has not been easy to see the Washington Heights-Inwood War Memorial in Mitchel Square Park for the past couple of years as ongoing construction has obstructed and blocked the space.

However, in a bit of good news this week, the construction has come down from around the Washington Heights park.

The monument stands proudly at the apex of Mitchel Square, where Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue converge at West 168th Street.

The memorial, created by esteemed sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, is a group of three bronze soldiers, two of which are supporting an injured comrade in battle.

The monument, dedicated on May 30, 1922, honors the men from Washington Heights and Inwood who gave their lives while serving the United States in World War I.

The Community League of the Heights posted about the construction coming down on its Facebook page, prompting one user to share fond memories of playing in the park as a child.

"I remember this Memorial well, as a young boy my friends and I used to play combat war in the little park that is just behind the Memorial that you see fenced in," he wrote.