A new statue of Christopher Columbus was installed Sunday on the White House grounds, marking a symbolic restoration effort after a monument in Baltimore was destroyed during unrest in 2020. The 13-foot, one-ton structure now stands outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and incorporates fragments recovered from the original statue that was toppled and discarded in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

The monument was commissioned by the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations as part of initiatives leading up to the United States’ semiquincentennial celebration. According to the group, artists salvaged pieces of the 1984 Baltimore statue following its destruction during nationwide protests that erupted after the death of George Floyd.

Organizers said they sought to reinstall a replacement in Baltimore, but after local officials declined, they worked with federal authorities to bring the project to Washington. The reconstructed statue is intended to preserve both the physical remnants and symbolic meaning of the original monument.

Basil Russo, president of the organization, said the figure of Columbus has long represented cultural pride for millions of Americans of Italian descent. He pointed to the historical challenges faced by Italian immigrants, including discrimination and the 1891 lynching of Italian nationals in New Orleans, as part of the broader context behind the recognition of Columbus in American public life.

The original Baltimore statue was torn down in July 2020 by demonstrators aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement, who argued that Columbus represents exploitation and harm toward Indigenous populations.

The installation follows a proclamation issued last year by President Donald Trump recognizing Columbus as a significant American historical figure. In a statement released Sunday, the White House said the administration is committed to ensuring that Columbus is honored and remembered as part of the nation’s heritage.