Who’s your candidate for the next statue for York’s streetscape?
Lorann Jacobs created the statue of the Marquis de Lafayette on West Market Street in York. Here, she talks with re-enactors at the statue’s unveiling ceremony in 2007. Since then, street artwork has continued to grow with unveiling of Creativity Unleashed-inspired art in 2012. Also of interest: Sculptor treasures Brooks Robinson’s signature.
The statue of Marquis de Lafayette is York’s newest.
The city’s unveiling of the Marquis de Lafayette’s statue raises the question about what historic figure York should recognize next?
The city, using the artistic talents of sculptor Lorann Jacobs, is embarking on a program to build cultural history and tourism via the erection of statues and monuments.
Who’s next? …
Here’s a vote for James Smith, York County’s signer of the Declaration of Independence and Pennsylvania’s first constitution.
We’ve argued before that just about the only recognition of Smith locally is his tombstone in the cemetery of First Presbyterian Church. Some of Smith’s obscurity stems from a fire that burned his papers. Thus, relatively little is known about this York lawyer, and no book-length biography has ever been done.
Meanwhile, even Delaware is ahead of York in naming a dormitory after this leader in the American Revolution.
If not James Smith, who? Let’s hear your view.
–For a story on a gala linked to the statue unveiling, see http://www.ydr.com/search/ci_5099528. For my speech at the gala tying together York’s French connection, see http://www.ydr.com/editor/ci_5104849.
*Edited, 10/11/12
