From
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=11940

The spare simplicity of the work is characteristic of Rosenthal’s minimalist style and that of his peers in the 1960s and early 1970s. Its imposing size and “impenetrable strength” caused the artist’s wife to suggest the name Alamo after the citadel at San Antonio, where about 180 Texans were attacked by thousands of Mexican soldiers in 1836.

Alamo serves as a transitional feature from central Greenwich Village to the East Village, and is popular especially among the numerous college students who live and study in the vicinity. A miniature of the sculpture was created to honor the recipients of the annual Doris Freedman award established by Mayor Edward I. Koch to honor individuals or organizations that have contributed significantly toward the improvement of the urban environment.