News
Missouri Capitol Goddess of Ag grounded for now
Ceres Goddess of Agriculture statue from atop Missouri State Capitol ~Tim Bommell, House Communications
The Goddess of Agriculture statue has been taken down from the Missouri State Capitol building but WILL be returned. Brownfield Ag News spoke with Missouri historian Bob Priddy about “Ceres”, who has been atop the Capitol in Jefferson City for 94 years, until today, “When the Capitol was built in 1913 and 1917 this was largely an agrarian state and so agriculture was the predominant industry. It was appropriate, the Capitol Commission decided, to put a Goddess of Agriculture on the top of the Capitol.”
The more than 10-foot-high statue of Ceres will be repaired and cleaned, “She’s been hit by lightening at least 30 times, so you know that she’s been very attractive to lightening. So, that’s one of the things they’re going to do. They’re going to take her down, send her to Chicago, refurbish her, clean her and repair her and then put her back up there.”
The Ceres statue has been on display for several hours for public viewing outside the Capitol in Jefferson City before she heads to Chicago for a year.
AUDIO: Bob Priddy, former Missourinet News Director and President of the Board of the State Historical Society of Missouri ~
Add Comment