Sculptor John Leglar’s latest work is almost ready for prime time.
Leglar, 40, who is a Magnolia resident, has spent much of the past five months outside carving by hand historical scenes and landmarks from Magnolia into a panel of Texas limestone.
The mural’s completion is a major part of the celebration to commemorate the Magnolia Historical Society’s 10th Anniversary. The sculpture, which is about three or four inches thick and weighs more than 500 pounds, measures 50 inches long and 40 inches high. During the next month or so, it will be permanently installed on the sidewalk at 3214 W. McGraw Street, outside the Windermere Building in the Magnolia Village.
The actual look of the sculpture remains a secret until the official unveiling of a life-size photograph of the panel at the historical society’s celebration on Sunday, April 10, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 3301 West Dravus Street. In the center of the panel is an image of the first plat map made of the Magnolia area. Surrounding the map are four iconic images of the area’s history, including the construction of the West Point Lighthouse in 1881, the first train that arrived in Magnolia in 1887, the construction of the Magnolia Bridge in 1930 and images of Madrona trees and Magnolia flowers.
The panel also includes descriptions of the Duwamish people, who are the first known settlers in the area, and of Dr. Henry Smith, the first European settler to buy land in Magnolia.
Because of the panel’s weight and size, it won’t be making any personal appearances until the historical society completes last-minute permits for the permanent installment and Leglar completes a four-legged steel frame that will hold the panel about 28 inches off the ground. The frame will tilt the panel up toward pedestrians walking by, so it can be read and admired.
The project is just the latest for Leglar, who has been sculpting objects since he was a child growing up in Iowa. Since moving to the Northwest in 1996, Leglar has worked as a sculptor, architectural stone carver and also fabricated and installed large-scale stone masonry and landscape assemblages. Since 2003, he has created more than 30 new sculptures of varying scale that have been commissioned by both private collectors and public organizations, such as the King County Housing Authority.
Magnolia’s Historical Society first decided to create the panel last year as a way of commemorating the history of Magnolia and celebrating the society’s 10th birthday. Leglar said he in October of last year he answered an advertisement from the historical society for a sculptor.
After a few weeks of working on drawings for the panel, Leglar said he was at Marenakos Rock Center in Issaquah and came across a discarded piece of Texas limestone.
“I took one look at the piece of limestone and I said, ‘this is the one,’ ” Leglar remembers.
He went to work figuring out how the images would fit on the panel in his outdoor studio in a cluttered corner of the CSR Marine boat repair yard on Commodore Way. Protected by only a white tarp on a metal frame, Leglar worked through the winter carving the panel. He said other than one bout with illness the process went smoothly. Being from Iowa, he said the Seattle winter didn’t really bother him much.
The panel unveiling is only one of a series of activities being hosted by the Magnolia Historical Society in April. The celebration of the organization’s 10th anniversary will kick off tonight at the Magnolia Bookstore, where Bob Dela Cruz, Barbara Wade Gates, Dale Forbus Hogle and Monica Wooton will share stories from the book, “Magnolia: Making More Memories.”
Among the historical events being discussed will include Hogle explaining the finding of an ancestral site for the Duwamish tribe during the construction of the West Point Sewage Treatment Plant.
Dela Cruz will share the story of his pioneering Filipino family in the Magnolia area and Gates will discuss life in Magnolia during mid-century, including what it was like to be a soda jerk at the old Magnolia pharmacy.
At Sunday’s unveiling of the panel, historian Paul Dorpat will speak about his upcoming book on Magnolia resident and founder of Ivar’s restaurant chain, Ivar Haglund. Jean Sheppard and Dorpat will discuss the practice of repeat photography using shots from the historical book, “Magnolia: Then and Now.” On Thursday, Apr. 14, actress Debbie Dimitre will perform as Catharine Blaine, discussing the pioneer missionary and teacher’s life in early Seattle, including how she formed one of the first schools in Seattle. Following her program, Dimitre will answer questions from the audience. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Magnolia Lutheran Church, 2314 31st Avenue West and is appropriate for fifth-graders and older. The month of historical activities culminates with a writing workshop on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Magnolia Library. Led by Monica Wooton, the workshop is titled, “Writing Down Your Memories and Memoirs,” and will offer ideas and tools for those who want to begin recording their memories for posterity. No experience is necessary.
Wooton advises participants to think of a specific memory or bring a photo about which they want to write down their memories. To reserve space, call 206-284-2430.
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