Albany's Philip Schuyler statue may soon have a new home, but the monument removed from city hall is unlikely to head to Saratoga County.
In June 2023, the city of Albany quietly removed a statue of Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler from outside city hall — three years after announcing the move.
Part of a famed Colonial Albany family, the general in the Continental Army who later served as a U.S. Senator from New York was a slaveowner. The statue was dedicated in 1925.
The move came as unrest spread nationwide following the killing of George Floyd.
Saratoga County is asking the city of Albany for the statue. Republican Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chair Phil Barrett made an appeal before the Albany Common Council Thursday.
“We ask that the statue be allowed to find a new home in Saratoga County," said Barrett. "Saratoga County will be responsible for all expenses involved with moving and installing the statue. We have written to your Mayor Sheehan and she referred us to the Common Council, due to the expectation this body was creating a monuments committee to decide these matters. General Schuyler played a crucial role in forging our new nation during the American Revolution, and that was most evident in Saratoga County. Saratoga County is home to the village of Schuylerville. The village is also home of the Schuyler house, which is a National Park Service historical site. General Schuyler has a tremendous legacy in Saratoga County, which would be a perfect location for the statue, representing Philip Schuyler's incredible contributions to our country, state and region."
Mayor Kathy Sheehan seems intent on keeping the Schuyler statue nearby. "We're not sending it anywhere. We're going to have the Monuments Commission decide where it will live in the city of Albany and make that decision through a very public process," Sheehan said.
Sheehan says the new Commission of Public Art and Monuments will be tasked with "finding a home for the statue with the appropriate historical context."
Barrett tells WAMC he'd like to see the statue become a national attraction in 2027, the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga.
“If we had any indication that there was a possibility we'd be able to obtain ownership, I would have a discussion with my colleagues within Saratoga County and comprise a short list of possible locations. But until that happens, I think it's a little premature. Some of the more obvious places that come to mind would certainly be somewhere in the village of Schuylerville, town of Saratoga,” said Barrett.
Thinking councilors would have the final say, Barrett issued a promise. "We appreciate your ability to allow Saratoga County to assume ownership of the statue and secure a final resting place for this historic structure. We will memorialize the generosity and contributions of Albanians to our partnership with the statue if it is erected in Saratoga County. Let us work together," Barrett said.
For the moment, Barrett will have to wait and see what happens in Albany. Sheehan tells WAMC Monday "We are sending out today a call for applicants to the Monuments Commission, and they're going to make that decision."
Not everyone cheered the statue’s removal. Shortly after it was taken down, Former Democratic state Assemblyman Jack McEneny told the Albany County Legislature's Personnel Committee that removing it was "not fair to our heritage." Legislator Jeff Perlee, a Republican from Altamont, called it a shortsighted erasure of the city’s history. He pointed out that Schuyler was a Revolutionary War hero, a U.S. Senator, and father-in-law to Alexander Hamilton.
