Statue of Benjamin Franklin (Portland, Oregon)
Statue of Benjamin Franklin | |
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![]() The statue in 2018 | |
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Artist | George Berry |
Year | 1942 |
Type | Sculpture |
Subject | Benjamin Franklin |
Dimensions | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
45°30′10″N 122°36′25″W / 45.50279°N 122.60689°WCoordinates: 45°30′10″N 122°36′25″W / 45.50279°N 122.60689°W | |
Owner | Franklin High School |
A statue of Benjamin Franklin stands outside Franklin High School, in Portland, Oregon's South Tabor neighborhood, in the United States. A work by the sculptor George Berry and his assistants, it was installed in 1942.
Description and history[]
The sculpture was one of two Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects benefitting Franklin between 1939 and 1942; the other was the construction of the school's athletic field. The statue was funded by Franklin alumni and students, who raised $15,000 to commission an artist from the Federal Art Project, one of WPA's five independent branches. George Berry and his team of assistants created a 40-ton sandstone statue of Franklin, which was erected at the school's north entrance, overlooking the athletic field, in 1942. Including its pedestal, the work measures 15-foot (4.6 m) tall. The pedestal includes built-in benches and the inscription, "One today is worth two tomorrows."[1]
In 2016, the statue was removed temporarily and replaced as part of a major renovation project.[2][3]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Franklin High School Statue – "Benjamin Franklin" – Portland OR". Living New Deal. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
- ^ Andrews, Garrett (7 September 2016). "Portland school's statue on the move". Djcoregon.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "Interim schools and construction up ahead for Portland students as bond work continues". Oregonlive.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
Further reading[]
- "Work Begins on New Field". The Oregonian. August 15, 1939.
- "Olden Dream Comes True: School Dedicates Franklin Statue". The Oregonian. May 9, 1942.
External links[]
Media related to Benjamin Franklin by George Berry at Wikimedia Commons
- Benjamin Franklin, (sculpture). at the Smithsonian Institution
- Franklin Statue – Portland, OR at Waymarking
- Letter: Let's preserve the historic atmosphere of Franklin High School by Joyce (Pennie) Quinlin Gray (April 23, 2013), The Oregonian
- 1942 establishments in Oregon
- 1942 sculptures
- Monuments and memorials in Portland, Oregon
- Outdoor sculptures in Portland, Oregon
- Sandstone sculptures in the United States
- Sculptures of men in Oregon
- South Tabor, Portland, Oregon
- Statues in Portland, Oregon
- Statues of Benjamin Franklin
- Stone sculptures in Oregon
- Works Progress Administration in Oregon
- Oregon sculpture stubs