Focus on Leif, the Discoverer (Whitney) and analyze the History.
The first casting of the statue resides in Boston, Massachusetts on Commonwealth Avenue. In November 1887, the Milwaukee copy was erected; however, at the request of its donor, Mrs. Joseph T. Gilbert, there was no dedication ceremony.By the 1990s, evidence of structural instability, manifest through cracks, erosion, and the deterioration of caulking in the pedestal was observable. In February 1995, the statue was moved 20 feet to the west to prevent it falling off the bluff. Additionally, in September of that year, the statue was cleaned and covered in acrylic resin. During the cleaning, residue of gold size was found, indicating the statue may have originally been gilded. The recently moved and restored statue was dedicated on May 17, 1996, Norway's annual Constitution Day celebration.In October 2001, the Sons of Norway Fosselyngen Lodge held a ceremony to celebrate the recent addition of a lighting system for the statue, which cost $3,800 (equivalent to $6,280 in 2022). The funds were bequested by the late lodge member, Duane Olson. The addition was a joint effort between the Fosselyngen Lodge, Milwaukee County and the city of Milwaukee. This lighting system was replaced, and the statue again professionally cleaned, during a project by Juneau Park Friends in 2017.
Juneau Park Commonwealth Avenue Boston gilded Norway's first casting Sons of Norway Milwaukee County Milwaukee Constitution Day Norway Massachusetts