"Caltrans has quietly demolished a statue of 18th century missionary and Catholic saint Junipero Serra that had overlooked Interstate 280 in Hillsborough for 50 years perhaps pleasing some who had questioned Serra's legacy, even as the move enraged his supporters in the church. The artwork's construction - built half a century ago, using rebar sprayed with a powdered form of concrete - meant that it could not easily be moved to another site, officials said, so it was demolished instead."
"Standing at 26 feet tall, the larger-than-life Serra was dressed in a monk's robe with a cowl falling onto his shoulders as he overlooked commuters trekking across the Peninsula. The statue had the names and founding dates of several missions carved onto its base; Serra established the first nine of 21 missions across California as he traveled north from Baja California with a band of conquistadors from Spain."
Caltrans removed and demolished a 26-foot statue of 18th-century missionary and Catholic saint Junipero Serra that had overlooked Interstate 280 in Hillsborough for 50 years. The sculpture was built in 1975 by Louis DuBois from steel and concrete using rebar sprayed with a powdered form of concrete, which officials said made relocation impractical. Caltrans stated the work did not meet current Transportation Art Program requirements and noted frequent vandalism. The statue's base listed names and founding dates of missions; Serra established the first nine of California's 21 missions while traveling north from Baja California with Spanish conquistadors. No replacement is planned.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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