From the heart of Niagara Square, the McKinley Monument's 96-foot obelisk rises in front of you, marking the very center of Buffalo. Its position in front of Buffalo City Hall marks the very center of the city — the place where the main roads converge. The State of New York commissioned this memorial and dedicated it on September 6, 1907 to the memory of William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was fatally shot while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901.
Daniel H. Burnham advised that an obelisk should be built, a choice meant to call attention to the monument’s importance. Look down at the base: Vermont and Italian marble form the shaft, and marble lions surround you here, with animal sculptures by Alexander Phimister Proctor. The sculpted sleeping lions stand as symbols of strength, while carved turtles speak to emblems of eternal life.
Carrère and Hastings, the architects who led the design of the Pan-American Exposition, designed this monument set on a circular plot of land donated by the government. A full restoration addressed damage from environmental conditions in 2017. Picture the Vermont and Italian marble shaft, where Alexander Phimister Proctor's sleeping lions and turtles guard the base.