To commemorate Presidents Day, we’re taking it way back to the very first president: George Washington.

Commissioned in 1859 and dedicated in 1869, the equestrian George Washington Statue is located in Boston’s Public Garden.

The funds for the statue were raised by donations and by a fair. Boston artist Thomas Ball created his model in the back of Chickering’s Piano Factory, but the Civil War and a shortage of bronze delayed the casting of the statue for years.

“The statue represents Washington at the time of middle life, and the countenance and attitude are full of force and vigor,” says the Celebrate Boston website. “The lines, both of horse and rider, are graceful and natural.”

The 22-foot-tall bronze portion of the statue is set upon a 16-foot-high piece of granite. Including the pedestal, the statue is a soaring 38 feet tall.