Lady Liberty statue reinstalled at City Beach following repairs

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Sandpoint’s miniature Statue of Liberty is back on its pedestal at City Beach after a monthslong restoration and repair effort.

The city of Sandpoint announced that Lady Liberty had returned to her perch Dec. 4, with work completed to fix structural fatigue that had led to damage at the statue’s base. According to a news release, “Concerns were first raised several months ago when the city was alerted that the statue’s base was ‘breaking away’ and leaning.” 

Crews removed Lady Liberty in August, citing the frequent use of the statue as a diving platform by local kids and general age as the source of the damage — not vandalism, “but rather the natural consequences of the immense affection it receives from residents and visitors alike,” the city stated.

Courtesy photo.

Sandpoint Community Planning and Development Director Jason Welker told the Reader in August that the torque resulting from kids jumping from the statue resulted in the failure of a weld that held one of the brackets in place, dislodging the statue from its base.

Restoration and repair work was performed by Creative Design & Ingenuity and A-10 Auto Body, which the city thanked for their efforts in a statement.

“This is now diving board-proof,” Welker said at the Dec. 4 meeting of the Sandpoint City Council. “This thing’s going to be here for another 30 years and we’re not going to have to worry about it.”

Originally donated in 2003 by the family of the late-business owner and restaurateur Louise (Lee) Turner, Sandpoint’s Lady Liberty was placed on the pier at City Beach to honor her legacy. In that time, it has become among the most photographed locations in the city.

“The Lady Liberty statue is a symbol of our community’s spirit, and it’s great to see her restored and standing strong once again,” Mayor Jeremy Grimm stated. “We’re grateful for the support of the community in maintaining this important landmark.”