Originally an actual square with a smaller inner traffic circle, Niagara Square was designed by Joseph Ellicott, a surveyor for the Holland Land Company in 1807. Standing at the center of the square is the McKinley Monument, which honors the memory of President William McKinley who was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. The 96 foot tall obelisk, dedicated in 1907, is made of Vermont marble and is surrounded by a fountain pool.