CITY OF MARION TO REDEDICATE SILENT SENTINEL STATUE ON MAY 4

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2023

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Person: Amber Bisinger
Title: Communications Manager
Telephone Number: 319-743-6345
Email Address: [email protected]

Website: www.cityofmarion.org

CITY OF MARION TO REDEDICATE SILENT SENTINEL STATUE ON MAY 4

The City of Marion will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and rededication of the Silent Sentinel statue in City Square Park on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Join Chamber ambassadors, City leaders and local business owners and volunteers who assisted with the refurbishment of the statue at 4 p.m.

The Silent Sentinel statue is that of an unidentified Civil War soldier. The zinc statue was forged in Connecticut and donated by the Iowa Woman’s Relief Corps, Marion, Iowa, Robert Mitchell WRC No. 126 in 1914. The statue was damaged in the August 2020 derecho and recently reinstalled in City Square Park.

A group of volunteers from the Marion Heritage Center and members of the Marion Arts Council were called upon to determine the best course of action and help guide the process.

John Ward, a specialist in zinc repair and statue restoration, was chosen to make the repairs to the statue in his studio in Mississippi. After about a six-month process, it was shipped back to Marion.

Wade’s Auto Body volunteered to paint it. Local fabricator Barnes Manufacturing helped build a base and worked with Coonrod Crane Services and the Parks and Recreation Department to secure the statue on the monument in City Square Park.

All are welcome to attend the ceremony on May 4.
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About the City of Marion
Marion is one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing cities. Located just minutes north of Cedar Rapids, Marion prides itself on being the best place in Iowa to raise a family and grow a business. Reach higher and achieve more in Marion. Visit www.cityofmarion.org to learn more.