Complex sentence: As early as 1887, the Holland Society had sought to install a prominent monument in New York City to celebrate the city's Dutch heritage--seeking to commission the work from prominent American sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848--1907) and Daniel Chester French.
Split into simpler sentences: As early as 1887, the Holland Society had sought to install a prominent monument in New York City to celebrate the city's Dutch heritage. In the following years, the society considered commissioning the work from prominent American sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848--1907) and Daniel Chester French.