Jesus Statue - Denison, TX
N 33° 46.332 W 096° 31.930
14S E 728532 N 3739635
At one time, this statue of Jesus looked out across the city of Denison from atop the St. Francis Xavier School. It was removed and placed here at Calvary Cemetery a few years before the school was closed and razed.
Waymark Code: WM12DQG
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/06/2020
Views: 0
Jesus stands in the southwest quadrant of the cemetery, just off the road, facing Eisenhower Pkwy (US 69). This "sacred heart" statue was the work of the Tusey Foundry on the Meuse as identified on the base. The type of metal is unknown, but it has been painted over time, and is about ready for a touch-up. The statue stands on a brick base that's about 4'x3'x3, with a slab of red granite at the top, and concrete underneath. Jesus himself is life-sized, standing about six feet tall, his right arm extended while his left arm points to the open heart in his chest. On the front is a plaque noting the statue's provenance:
This statue for 60 years a landmark
atop of St. Francis Xavier School,
overlooked the business district
of the city of Denison.
Placed in Calvary Cemetery
August 15, 1964
Another plaque on the back of the base notes, "Erected by Knights of Columbus Council 830."
A surviving page on the Grayson County TXGenWeb site has a photo postcard of the old building, and there is a reference to the the life-sized statues of Jesus and St. Francis Xavier being atop the south and east towers, respectively. The statues are discernible as statues, but the detail is such that it's impossible to identify which is which. A Texas Historical Marker is at the site, and it looks like the main façade faced south towards E Sears St, which would have given Jesus a great view of downtown Denison. Should that link eventually perish, there is a photo of the same postcard in "Denison" in Arcadia's Images of America series, by Donna Hord Hunt and Mavis Anne Bryant.