WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa group is hoping to build a sculpture commemorating women’s voting rights in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
Members of the Cedar Falls/Waterloo 19th Amendment Centennial Committee asked the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to authorize the steel monument, which would be placed in front of the county courthouse, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
Some officials raised concerns about setting a precedent for future requests since the county has typically hesitated to allow monuments around the courthouse.
“We’ve had requests for memorial stones; we’ve had requests for plaques,” said Rory Geving, building maintenance superintendent. “Looking back at those, they’ve been pretty consistently not approved.”
Supervisor Chris Schwartz said he supports the project.
“Maybe this sets a new precedent, but the 19th Amendment was a new precedent too,” he said. “I think it’s worth honoring that here at the courthouse.”
Board members are expected to vote on the proposal next week.
The sculpture is one of the many projects and events that are being planned to honor the 19th Amendment, which was approved on Aug. 20, 1920, and gave women the right to vote nationwide.
Another monument will be placed outside the Cedar Falls Woman’s Club, said Maureen White, a member of the centennial committee. The group is working to raise $25,000 in donations for both projects.
“The sculptures would lead toward a more abstract representation of women rather than a realistic representation of a particular woman,” White said.
The group hopes to dedicate the statues on Aug. 26, 2020, which is Women’s Equality Day.
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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com
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