Restored MLK Jr. statue returns to Springfield nearly two years after being vandalized

Patrick M. Keck, Springfield State Journal- Register
·2 min read
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Approaching two years since being vandalized, the Martin Luther King Jr. statue is back at the Freedom Corner.

Located at the intersection of Second Street and Capitol Avenue, a crew of workers with Highland Park-based Sculpture Resource placed the 300-pound bronze statue on July 1.

The company, contracted by the Illinois Secretary of State's office, had previously done repairs to the Illinois Welcoming the World statue located under the Capitol rotunda.

The Martin Luther King Jr. statue returned to the Freedom Corner on the intersection of Second Street and Capitol Avenue on Monday, July 1, 2024.
The Martin Luther King Jr. statue returned to the Freedom Corner on the intersection of Second Street and Capitol Avenue on Monday, July 1, 2024.

Sparking the need for repairs came after a 24-year-old man toppled the structure in September 2022. Fernando Garcia was arrested for the criminal damages and reached a plea deal last August, now owing the state over $10,000 in restitution for the toppling.

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According to the secretary of state's office, the refurbished statue includes a refinished surface and new bronze base with fortified attachment points to provide a more secure structure. Much focus on repairs centered King's shoes that stuck to the original granite base when it was toppled in September 2022, Sculpture Resource founder and artist Oscar Leon told The State Journal-Register.

"When it was knocked of its granite base, the hardware that was on the feet stayed on the granite," he said. "And so, the shoe soles were essentially hollow where the bronze and the welded nut was attached. The only notable change, outside of the base, was that we just added that hardware back and cleaned him up."

While the original statue — sculpted by Geraldine McCullough and unveiled on Jan. 14, 1988 — has returned, conversations for a new MLK statue on the Capitol grounds are ongoing.

State lawmakers approved $500,000 for the acquisition, placement and maintenance for a new statue in January 2023. No location has yet to be determined.

Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Repaired Martin Luther King Jr. statue back in Springfield