FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
The fourth largest statue in the United States, which overlooks Butte, Montana, recently got its first fresh coat of paint in a decade. The 90-foot-tall Our Lady of the Rockies project had been delayed due to weather, but is now sporting a new, shiny white finish.
About the Statue
The idea for the statue was conceived in 1979, when Bob O’Bill reportedly promised to build a statue in the likeness of Mary, mother of Jesus, if his wife was cured of cancer. Once his wife Joyce fully recovered, work began on the project by a team of volunteers.
“He at first was going to make a small statue, a five-foot-high statue,” Joyce O’Bill told CNN in an interview. “He was worried about raising our daughters by himself, and… well he was worried about me.”
As a welder, O’Bill began to construct the statue out of 16-gauge steel. David Adickes, creator of another giantstatue in Texas, told Roadside America that he had met Bob O’Bill, who made the Lady’s head and hands first.
However, initially he planned for 120-foot-tall statue, but the Federal Aviation Administration reportedly told him that anything taller than 90 feet would require a blinking light.
Our Lady of the Rockies gets first new coat of paint in a decade https://t.co/khk5iXZA3u
— KTVH (@KTVHNews) August 26, 2023
Built at that height, the hands and head are consequently disproportionate, Adickes said.
Then, six years later, 400 tons of concrete were poured for its base. In December of 1985, the Montana National Guard, the Army Reserve and teams of civilian workers worked together to place the 51-ton statue on top of the mountain using a Sky Crane helicopter.
The statue was painted with a reflective white coating and, at night, lights come on and reflect off the surface of the statue, making it visible for miles.
At the site, visitors are reportedly able to enter the metal structure, which is dedicated to women. The base of the observatory also includes a memorial wall, consisting of the names of over 15,000 women who have died throughout the world.
The grounds also offer spots for reflection, accompanied by the solitude and mountain views at its elevation of 8,510 feet.
Bob O'Bill reportedly passed away in 2016, but the statue still continues inspiration as a symbol to "recognize the dignity of motherhood and the sacrificial love a mother has for her child," according to the statue's caretakers.
Painting Project
Last Thursday (Aug. 24), crews from Fournier Paint and Drywall of Butte began to coat the statue on top of the East Ridge.
“I think it’s awesome, it’s such an honor to do this. We donated our labor and painting's been in our family for 60-plus years. I’m a third-generation painter,” said Brian Fournier, owner of Fournier Paint and Drywall.
However, the company also has a personal connection to the project—Fournier’s grandfather reportedly put the first coat of paint on the statue before it was placed on the mountain in 1985.
Weather reportedly delayed the latest painting project for two weeks. The wind up on the mountain also causes the lift to sway.
“Kind of scary, you know, in the lift, moving around in the lift, but something definitely cool, fun, got to have no fear,” painter Cory Hyndman told reporters with KXLF Butte.
“Today it’s still windy but we got to get it done, so we’re just, like, we’re doing it, wind or not.”
“It’s not bad once you’re up there and get used to it. I mean, it’s a little bouncy but that’s how all extension lifts are so it’s another day in the office,” said Fournier.
Painter Rich Winters added, “Just look at the statue and figure out what you’re going to paint. Don’t look down and go to work.”
In a video from the Montana news outlet, the crews can be seen spraying the statue with a new coat of white paint on the lift.
“It’s really cool to like give back to our community, born and raised out of Butte, so for us to come up and donate our time is something really cool to do,” said Hyndman.
Tagged categories: Architecture; Completed projects; Historic Preservation; Historic Structures; Maintenance + Renovation; Paint application; Program/Project Management; Projects - Commercial; Rehabilitation/Repair; Renovation; Spray equipment
