A memorial statue of Francis Scott Key stood in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, in the U.S. state of California, from 1888 until 2020.
Original monument
The monument to Francis Scott Key was commissioned by San Francisco businessman James Lick, who donated some $60,000 for a sculpture of Key to be raised in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.[1] The nation's first memorial to Key, it consisted of a sculpture of the seated Key, within a travertine monument displaying text from "The Star-Spangled Banner", and surmounted by a statue of Columbia and four eagles.[1] It was executed by sculptor William W. Story in Rome during 1885–1887, transported to San Francisco, and unveiled on July 4, 1888, near a new music stand.[1][2]
In the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the monument was damaged and, when repaired, it was re-erected in a more prominent position in the park, on the south side of the Music Concourse. In 1967 it was dismantled and taken into storage to allow further expansion of the nearby California Academy of Sciences. When restored to public view, on July 4, 1977, it was placed in yet another location, at the eastern end of the Music Concourse.[1] In the 2010s, the city of San Francisco completed a $140,000 renovation of the Key monument.[1]
^ abcdeWoods, Arnold (April 2020). "The Wandering Key: A Closer Look". Open SF History. San Francisco, CA: Western Neighborhoods Project. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.