Statue of Liberty - Forney, TX
N 32° 45.654 W 096° 28.813
14S E 736051 N 3627590
A little Statue of Liberty replica is located on a small strip of land between FM 688 (Broad St) and US 80, as one approaches the heart of Forney, TX.
Waymark Code: WMRBH1
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/04/2016
Views: 4
Designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and constructed by Gustave Eiffel, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States, unveiled here in 1886. Iconic and easily one of the first things someone would mention when they think "America," she is made of copper, representing the Roman goddess, Libertas, clad in robes and holding a torch and a tablet of law, as she greets visitors to the United States.
In Forney, Lady Liberty's dimensions are approximately 8' x 2'6" x 2'3". She is of painted cast aluminum, atop a concrete base that is approximately 6' x 4' x 4'. The Smithsonian Art Inventory catalog describes her as:
Full-length figure of a female in classical robes holding a torch aloft in her proper right hand and a tablet crooked in her proper left elbow. She wears a seven-pointed crown. This replica of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor differs with the absence of a flame in the torch, in favor of other globes; in this case, a flame-shaped glass.
The book in her hand is identical to that of the Statue of Liberty in New York, with an inscription, in raised lettering, of "JULY/IV/MDCCLXXVI".
They also note that she was "Cast by various foundries in Mexico and finished by the craftsmen at Little "Reds" Antiques, under the direction of Richard Whaley. Sculpture stands on a traffic island and is lit with five flood lights. It is surrounded by a brick wall."
The Roadside America site incorrectly references this Statue of Liberty as being one that was donated by the Boy Scouts of America some years ago. Carol Morris Little's "A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas", reiterates that the statue was created by Richard "Red" Whaley of Little Red's Antiques in Forney and placed here in 1986. Notably, it and Whaley's other Statues in Texas all lack a flame in the torch, making them easy to identify. It is easier to see the flame-shaped glass at a distance from the front, or easily from behind the statue.
Lady Liberty can be seen, 24/7, and is often illuminated. Parking can be problematical here, so be careful of traffic: It would probably not be a good idea to be walking near here at night.