As the granddaughter of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of the Start Westward Memorial statue in Muskingum Park, I am concerned about its future. The Start Westward Memorial Society is a very committed group of citizens who have been working for years to get the statue recognized on the National Register of Historical Places, as was originally intended in 1937. I have been an out-of-town member since 2022, attending meetings virtually.

The Ohio Preservation Office, owner of the memorial, does not appear interested in fulfilling any duty to preserve the statue – or allow anyone else to do so. I was told that one of their top representatives said at a Marietta City Council committee meeting that it should be left in place, with no restoration work and the protective cover removed.

I see this as abandonment and neglect on the part of the Ohio State Preservation Office and the Marietta City Council to leave that statue in place to deteriorate.

This is not the preservation that the city should expect for a famous work of art that depicts an nationally significant event.

If the citizens of Marietta do not want a Memorial on the National Register to their unique history, plus a restored statue for their city, it might be better to destroy it now rather than let it slowly fall apart in everyone’s view.

Please call your Marietta City Council representative to support Start Westward Memorial Society’s efforts to restore and conserve this national treasure in place.