Peace and Harvest - Peoria, Illinois - WPA Projects on Waymarking.com

"Peace" and "Harvest" are male and female figure limestone statues that are eight feet tall.  They are sited approximately fifteen feet apart in a designed plaza in the front of the Becker Building in downtown Peoria, Illinois at the west corner of Main and Jefferson Streets.  The male figure has a shovel at his side resting on his leg, depicting "swords turned into plowshares."  The standing man, representing "Peace," is looking compassionately at the young dove held in his hand.  The standing woman, representing "Harvest",  is holding the fruits of her labors in her apron.  These may be potatoes or apples.  Originally the figures stood directly on the ground.  At present the figures stand on modern stone plinths that are approximately two feet high.  The statues are sited on a grass lawn area atop as raised platform near the entrance steps to the building.  The raised platform area is maintained by the City of Peoria, and the City has a perpetual easement to the area where the statues are standing.  Peace and Harvest Plaza is owned by G. Raymond Becker of Peoria, Illinois.  The limestone statues were sculpted in 1938-1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration Federal art Project in Illinois by Mary Andersen Clark of Chicago, formerly of Peoria. The statues were originally sited in front of the Peoria Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium, where they were dedicated on September 3, 1939.  Soon after the Sanitarium was closed in 1975 the statues were moved to the "grassy knoll" area of Peoria County Courthouse Plaza.  Nita Sunderland, sculptor and art professor at Bradley University in Peoria, supervised the relocation of the statues.  In January, 1988 the statues were listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Due to the planned expansion of the courthouse, in March, 1988 the statues were  removed from the Plaza and stored in the basement of a Peoria fire station until Spring, 1992  Prior approval of the move was not requested from the National Park Service, and therefore the statues were removed from the National Register in April 1992.  In June, 1992 Ms. Sunderland again supervised the installation of the figures at the present site" - National Register Nomination form

Project type: Sculpture/Statue Date built or created: 1938-39 Dedicated September 3, 1939 Location: Peace and Harvest Plaza City: Peoria, Illinois Condition: Good upkeep with a little wear and tear Website for additional information: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   10/22/2010 adgorn visited it