Named in tribute to the national hero of Poland and the United States, the bridge, between Greenpoint and Maspeth, is one of the most important and popular bridges in New York. About 120,000 cars drive through it every day.
One of the plaques features Kościuszko’s face, the other – the dates of his birth and death (1746-1817), and the third gives the key facts from his life and political and military career.
The project was sponsored by the Dobra Polska Szkoła Foundation, under the patronage of New York Governor Kathy Hochul, with partial financial support from the Polish Prime Minister.
In a letter to the participants in the unveiling ceremony, Prime Minister Morawiecki welcomed the fact that "the life and achievements of the great Pole, the hero of Poland and the United States, have remained in the memory of the two nations."
The ceremony coincided with the 205th anniversary of Kościuszko’s death.
Kościuszko was described by Thomas Jefferson as "the purest son of liberty, I have ever known."
(mk/ał)