The legacy and remembrance : Monuments and public recognition

The legacy and remembrance :
Monuments and public recognition

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To preserve the Kossuth name and tradition, streets, parks, building in a number of North American communities were named after him. Plaques (often on buildings where he stayed or visited), statues, portraits etc were dedicated to his memory: often initiated by Hungarian communities, but supported by Americans and Canadians as a whole. Some have been moved,rebuilt, restored.. Others have disappeared or are awaiting restoration. Recent surveys indicate the following inventory:

Thoroughfares

Towns and jurisdiction(s)

Plaques

Buildings

Statues

Thoroughfares

Wesley

Kossuth Streets can be found in the following localities:
Town	State	Zip code
Lafayette	IN	47905/6
Bridgeport	CN	06608/10
Columbus	OH	43206
Bancroft	IA	50517
LuVerne	IA	50560
Whittemore	IA	52598
Deer Park	NY	11729
Providence	RI	02909
Bangor	ME	04401
Norwalk	CT	06854
Trenton	NJ	08608
Kossuth Avenues :
St.Louis	MO	63107/115
Ronkonkoma	NY (LI)	11779
Bronx	NY	10467
Buffalo	NY	14218
IA	50483
Kossuth Place :
Brooklyn	NY	11221
Kossuth Road :
Kitchener	ONT. (Canada)	.
St. Mary's	OH	45895
Kossuth Park :
New Brunswick	NJ	08901

Kossuth Park in
New Brunswick, NJ

Towns and jurisdiction(s)

Kossuth town names appear in the following USA States: Indiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania. Iowa has a Kossuth County. For picture and history of the County's Hungarian coat of arms also current information click here

Plaques:

Castle Clinton
plaque

New York City, Battery Park, Castle Gardens. Ceded to New York City in 1823, Castle Clinton was renamed "Castle Gardens" in 1824. Until 1855 it served as a community center and theater where public figures, such as Lafayette, Kossuth and President Jackson were received.
The plaque is located on the wall of the castle. The inscription contains specifics on Kossuth's NYC reception

and a reference to a painting in City Hall, where Kossuth was hosted by Ambrose Kingsland (Mayor, 1851)

(See image on the left).

New Orleans plaque

New Orleans, Louisiana in Lafayette Square, in front of historic Gallier Hall, where Kossuth spoke on March 30 1852. Unveiled April 6 2002

(See image on the left).

The Pittsburgh plaque

The Pittsburgh plaque
close-up

Pittsburgh PA. Corner of Wood St. and 3rd Ave. (Point Park College see map). Site of onetime St. Charles Hotel, where Kossuth stayed Jan 22-31 1852 (See 2 images on the right).
Inscription includes: "LOUIS KOSSUTH Great Hungarian patriot, champion of liberty, statesman and orator, Governor of Hungary in 1849, lodged in the Hotel St. Charles on this site January 22-31, 1852 as guest of the City of Pittsburgh while on a tour of the United States"

On the bottom of plaque : "A. Finta, 1949, Los Angeles California". "This tablet placed by the Magyars of Western Pennsylvania"

Trenton plaque

Trenton NJ. In entranceway of City Hall.( See map) Sculptor: Béla Horváth. Insciption: 1852 1952 Erected by citizens of Trenton of Hungarian origin in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the visit here of Louis Kossuth the great Hungarian champion of freedom and democracy

The Columbus plaque

Columbus plaque close-up

Columbus OH.

Inside State House 1952. Sculptor: Béla Horváth. Inscription: "The spirit of our age is democracy. All for the people, and all by the people Nothing about the people without the people, that is democracy and the ruling tendency of the spirit of our age. Louis Kossuth. Columbus, Ohio, Joint Assembly of Ohio February 1852. Presented in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Louis Kossuth's visit to the City of Columbus by Southern Ohio's spirited Hungarians. July 1952."(The quotation often compared with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address) Click here to see excerpts from his Columbus speeches. See also Kossuth's head bas-relief.

[Plaque of Louis Kossuth in Washington, DC]

Plaque by
Sándor Bodó

Buildings

In Washington DC the headquarters of the Reformed Federation of America is located in the "Kossuth House". Street address is 2001 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington DC. On the wall of the Kossuth House is a plaque of Louis Kossuth (See image on the left).

Kossuth Statue in
Port Colborne, ONT

Port Colborne, ONT: A "Kossuth House" on Kossuth Rd. (near airport). It is an old schoolhouse in Kossuth Park 10L43 Lakeshore Dr. (statue by Kisfaludy Stróbl Zsigmond) Inscription on the pedestal : "Kossuth Lajos 1802-1894.
On the plaque : Lajos Kossuth, leader of the Hungarian independence struggle 1848-1849. This statue is dedicated to Hungarian Canadians. Unveiled as a centennial project, July 9 1967. Donated by the World Federation of Hungarians" (See image on the right).

Statues

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles CA Exhibition Park. (Alex Finta, 1954) Inscription: "Louis Kossuth 1802-1894 Hungarian patriot visited the United States on a goodwill tour 1851-52. Received by Pres. Millard Fillmore and Daniel Webster. Addressed the United States Senate and the House of Representatives".

St. Louis MO on Kossuth Avenue, West of Grand Ave. near Fairground Park (Alex Finta, 1951).

Kossuth Statue
in New York City


Kossuth Statue in New York City

New York NY. Riverside Drive and 113th Street (Manhattan). Sculptor: János Horvai.Inscriptions: On the flag of the honvéd : "Velünk a szent szabadság istene" On the back a bronze plaque: "Kossuth monument committee, Géza D. Barkó, president. March 15 1928." On the front of pedestal:
"Erected by a liberty loving race of Americans of Magyar origin to Louis Kossuth, the great champion of liberty." Sculptor: János Horvai
Read the story of the monument (See images on the left and right)

Brooklyn, New YorkEmilia Kossuth's gravestone

Brooklyn NY. Gravestone of Mrs. Zulavsky, nee Emilia Kossuth, sister of Lajos Kossuth in the Greenwood Cemetery, (see two images on the right).Inscriptions (in part) : "Emilia Kossuth - Zulavsky - born in Hungary November 12, 1817. Died Brooklyn, NY June 29, 1860. Ye who return when Hungary is free, oh, take me along, my heart is there. By her fellow exiles who admired her in life - now mourn."

Kossuth Statue in US Capitol


Bust of Louis Kossuth in the Embassy of Hungary, Washington, DC, © Copyright VAU 203 490

Washington, DC. Bust of Louis Kossuth, by Gabriella F. Koszorus-Varsa. Located in reception hall entryway, Embassy of Hungary, Washington DC (see two images on the left).

Inside the US Capitol : Bronze bust by Csaba Kúr, dedicated on March 15, 1990. Inscription: "KOSSUTH, 1802-1894. Father of Hungarian democracy, Hungarian Statesman, Freedom Fighter, 1848-1849" (see image on the right).

Kossuth Statue in
Cleveland, OH

Cleveland, OH University Circle. 7ft bronze figure on 10ft stone base. (András Tóth, sculptor Debrecen 1901; poured by Gillman I. Budapest 1902) Inscription: "Kossuth 1802-1894. His life was devoted to the cause of liberty. Erected by the magyar-American citizens Sept. 18, 1902. In commemoration of his visit to the United States 1851-1852." The monument (see image on the right) was restored in 1995.

Algona

Algona (Iowa, USA) Kossuth Statue Erected in commemoration of Kossuth County's 150th anniversary. Dedicated July 13, 2001.Bronze. Sculptor: Wayne Thompson
Inscription:
LAJOS (LOUIS) KOSSUTH 1802-1894 The namesake of Kossuth County, Kossuth was a Hungarian freedom fighter and leader of the 1848 - 1849 revolution for Hungarian independence. He was known as one of the greatest statesmen and orators of the mid-19th century. He was a prominent figure,well known in the United States at the time. Kossuth County was established on January 15, 1851. Dedicated this 13th day of July, 2001

For more information on Kossuth County and statue dedication click here

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