

NEWARK — Five years ago, his namesake plaza was unveiled at the Veterans Courthouse in Newark.

This week, the Gov. Brendan T. Byrne Plaza will get a hefty addition: A seven-foot bronze statue of the former governor and Essex County native.

This morning, sculptor Jay Warren and his crew used a hydraulic lift to position the 700- to 800-pound statue onto a granite pedestal, drilling holes to secure it in place.

Gov. Chris Christie, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and other dignitaries are slated to honor Byrne, 89, at the unveiling of the sculpture on West Market Street at noon Thursday.

Standing near the courthouse entrance, the statue shows Byrne, governor from 1974 to 1982, with fingers laced together, thumbs apart and a contemplative expression.

"It's a very characteristic pose. His wife thought so," said Warren, who was previously commissioned to create statues of the late Congressman Donald Payne Sr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan and tennis legend Althea Gibson, among others. "I believe there's as much character in the hands as there is in the face," he added.

A decorated Army Air Corps officer, Byrne devoted most of his professional life to public service. He served as Essex County prosecutor, president of the state Board of Public Utilities and a Superior Court judge.

Officials lauded Byrne for his no-nonsense style of leadership when the plaza opened in Aug. 2008.

DiVincenzo said he admired Byrne for his accomplishments like developing the Meadowlands Sports Complex and introducing a state income tax that was an unpopular idea. Despite being dubbed “one term Byrne,” he succeeded in winning a second term, DiVincenzo noted.

“He’s a great inspiration for everyone. He’s a great human being,” DiVincenzo said. Private donors raised funds to pay for the $70,000 statue.

With his signature humor, Byrne quipped that he appreciates the statue.

"I'm immortal again," he said.

A bust of former President and New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson is displayed in the Statehouse Rotunda in Trenton but there’s no comprehensive statewide list of statues of governors in the Garden State, according to Margaret O’Reilly, curator of fine art at the New Jersey State Museum.

Born and raised in West Orange, Byrne resides in Roseland.

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