Statue of Chief Seattle

An outdoor life-size sculpture of Chief Seattle by local artist James Wehn is installed in Tilikum Place in Seattle, Washington, in the United States.[2][3][4][5]

Not to be confused with Chief of the Suquamish – Chief Seattle.
Statue of Chief Seattle
The statue in 2006
ArtistJames Wehn
Year1912 (1912)
TypeSculpture
MediumCopper
SubjectChief Seattle
LocationSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Seattle, Chief of the Suquamish, Statue
Coordinates47°37′06″N 122°20′51″W
Built1912
NRHP reference No.84003502
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 19, 1984
Designated SEATLMay 6, 1985[1]

Description

The copper[4] statue, which weighs between 300 and 400 lbs. (136–181 kg),[5] shows Seattle with his right hand extended as if in greeting.[4][5] The statue stands atop a stone base that was designed to serve as a fountain, although the fountain has been turned off and on over the years.[5]

History
The statue overlooking Tilikum Place in 2012

Commissioned in 1907, Wehn's design suffered from multiple poor castings and was finally sent to New York for casting.[5] The statue was formally unveiled in Tilikum Place by Myrtle Loughery, a great-great-granddaughter of Chief Seattle, on November 13, 1912.[4][5] The statue was the first commissioned in Seattle[3][5] and only the city's second piece of public art in all.[3]

After unsuccessful proposals to move the statue to locations such as Duwamish Head, Denny Park, and Pioneer Square, the statue was removed for cleaning in anticipation of the Century 21 Exposition of 1962. Wehn objected to a proposal to turn the statue around so it would face the then-new Seattle Center Monorail.[6] After its cleaning, the statue was returned to its original location and orientation,[5] facing Elliott Bay.[3]

The statue was rededicated on December 8, 1975.[5] By 1980, the statue had turned green. A local taxi driver attempted to clean it himself, scratching it and exposing its original bronze color. A subsequent restoration revealed that the statue originally had been gilded (covered in gold leaf).[3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1984, and named a city landmark on May 6, 1985.[1]

See also

References
  1. Seattle City Council (May 16, 1985). "City of Seattle Ordinance 112273" (PDF). City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the Seattle City Clerk. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  2. "Chief Seattle, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  3. Murakami, Kerry (December 8, 2008). "No Parking Anytime: Chief Seattle statue is no longer in the dark". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  4. Morgan, Brandt. Enjoying Seattle's Parks. Cited in Tilikum Place. Seattle Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  5. Sherwood, Donald. Tilikum Place. Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
  6. "Problem: Should Chief Seattle Watch Monorail Instead of Bay?". The Seattle Times. February 1, 1962. p. 27.
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