Plans are in the works for a new monument in Veterans Park illuminating a lesser-known woman figure who played a key role in the 1776 Declaration of Independence.
The ode to the American Revolution is a collaboration between the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Polk County Veterans Council, and Platform Art.
Plans call for the “Path to Freedom” Veterans Park project to be installed in 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The monument plan is a part of the America250 initiative, a nationwide, grassroots commemoration of the American Revolution highlighting the declaration.
J. Lenora Bresler, regent of the Lakeland chapter of the DAR, asked Lakeland city commissioners in December to approve the placement of the monument in the city-owned Veterans Park just west of the RP Funding Center.
The proposed 360-degree sculpture features a replica of Mary Katherine Goddard, the printer of the Declaration of Independence and the only female whose name appears on the document, and would showcase:
Six bronze etchings, angled in a semi-circle to showcase the events that caused the American Revolution
A re-creation of a Revolutionary War printing press, in which a standing Mary Katherine Goddard would be printing the Declaration of Independence
A re-creation of a readable Declaration of Independence, with the names of the signers, and Mary Katherine Goddard’s name etched in a flipped-up corner, showing who printed it
The cost of the full project is estimated at $400,000 to $500,000 and the timeline spans from July 2022-2026, culminating in a dedication on July 4, 2026.
The proposed sculptor for the monument is Becky Ault, an award-winning artist and co-founder of ART Design Group and ARTResearch Enterprises, Inc. in Lancaster, Pa. Ault’s work is featured around the United States and Florida and is known for her work in Lakeland, such as the Spanish American War Monument at Veterans Park and the Law Enforcement Honor Guard Memorial at the Lakeland Police Department.
In the long term, the America250 committee plans to create a lesson plan for teachers to use during history lessons while doing a walk-through of the park’s monuments. A plan for a docent-led tour, similar to the city’s tours around Lake Mirror, is also being planned.