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Statue of Junípero Serra (Carmel-by-the-Sea, California)

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Coordinates: 36°33′54″N 121°55′11″W / 36.56492°N 121.91961°W / 36.56492; -121.91961
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Statue of Junípero Serra
The statue in 2018
Map
ArtistJoseph Jacinto Mora
Year1922 (1922)
MediumOak sculpture
SubjectJunípero Serra
LocationCarmel-by-the-Sea, California, U.S.
Coordinates36°33′54″N 121°55′11″W / 36.56492°N 121.91961°W / 36.56492; -121.91961

A statue of Junípero Serra, also known as the Serra Shrine, was installed in the community of Carmel Woods in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States.[1] Artist Joseph "Jo" Mora (1876-1947), designed and carved the wood statue of Serra for real estate developer Samuel F.B. Morse's new subdivision.[2]

Description and history

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Carmel Woods with Jo Mora and his daughter Patti in 1922.

A shrine with a wooden statue of Junípero Serra was installed on July 22, 1922, which was the opening day of the Carmel Woods subdivision, as well as Serra Day, an officially proclaimed holiday by the Town Trustees of Carmel.[3][4] The memorial was located at the intersection of Serra Avenue, Dolores Street, Alta Avenue, and Camino Del Monte in the community of Carmel Woods in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.[2]

The small statue was carved from oak by the local artist Joseph Jacinto Mora, and was displayed within a wooden shrine, surrounded by plants and a pair of wooden benches. The sculpture was commissioned by Samuel F. B. Morse, president of Del Monte Properties Company, for the entrance to the new Carmel Woods development.[5] At the opening day, the Serra Shrine was dedicated in the Serra Circle of Carmel Woods by Father Raymond Mestres, pastor of the Carmel Mission. A poem written by George Sterling to indicate the building of the statue was read during the ceremony.[1] A replica of the statue was carried in a pageant procession from Carmel Mission to Carmel Woods with a cavalry guard and a band from the Monterey Presidio.[3][6]

Vandalism and removal

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The statue was vandalized using black paint on September 23, 2015.[7] Following fears that the shrine would be vandalized again during the George Floyd protests, it was removed for safekeeping by the Carmel city administration on June 23, 2020.[8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Serra Shrine Dedication At Carmel". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 23 Jul 1922. p. 32. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  2. ^ a b Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 24, 31. ISBN 9781467103039. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  3. ^ a b "Opening Dale Day Carmel Woods Lots". Carmel Pine Cone 1922-07-20. Carmel by the sea, California. 1922-07-20. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  4. ^ "Carmel Woods Sale July 22". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 15 Jul 1922. p. 9. Retrieved 2021-01-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Opening Dale Day Carmel Woods Lots". Carmel Pine Cone 1922-07-20. Carmel by the sea, California. 1922-07-20. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  6. ^ "Padre Juniperro Shrine Dedicated In Carmel Woods". Modesto Morning Herald. Modesto, California. 23 Jul 1922. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  7. ^ Rocha, Veronica (2017-09-14). "Decapitated and doused with red paint: Vandals target St. Junipero Serra statue at Santa Barbara mission". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  8. ^ "Serra statue removed in Carmel for safekeeping, local cities deciding fate of others". Monterey Herald. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  9. ^ Marino, Pam (June 23, 2020). "Carmel removes Jo Mora's statue of Father Junipero Serra for safekeeping". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
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