Giant Hands in Prayer, Webb City, MO
N 37° 08.409 W 094° 27.954
15S E 369805 N 4111425
An impressive 32 feet tall and weighing 110 tons, these huge praying hands would be hard to miss, on US Hwy 71 in Webb City, MO.
Waymark Code: WMBRP1
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/17/2011
Views: 14
Sitting atop a 40 foot man-made hill, and gleaming white, these hands grab the attention of drivers on Hwy 71; they were created by local artist J.E. "Jack" Dawson in 1972 (then 20 years old). Each year, thousands of motorists and tourists view the statue and see the words on the placard facing the road: The words below the hands read: “Hands in prayer. World in peace.”
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LOCATION: King Jack Park
W. Tracy St., Webb City, MO
Directions:
South side of US Hwy 71/Hwy 171//E. McArthur Drive, at the intersection of Ball St., just east of where Hwys 71 and 171 split.
Phone:
417-673-1154
BACKGROUND:
The sculptor, Dawson, started the construction of the praying hands in his own backyard, first devloping a steel understructure covered with a metal lath. Neighbors said the sight resembled a gigantic bird cage. When the foundation of steelwork was ready for the application of the white stucco covering in the fall of 1972, the hands were moved to a special hill in the park, near Highway 71.
The official "opening" of the statue was April 28, 1974, when the finished 32-foot, 100-ton statue was presented in a public dedication ceremony. In his address at the ceremony, Dawson stated, "The hands symbolize the need for a personal commitment and relationship to God.”
Admission to the memorial is free, and the memorial is open to visitors year-round.
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