Want to check out what KC Restoration’s technicians were up to last week? They were in the Kansas town of Osawatomie to refinish a fascinating statue of abolitionist John Brown. In August 1856, he led a force of 30 Free State fighters against 250 proslavery militia at the Battle of Osawatomie. The 1935 statue commemorates both the battle that tried to keep the abolitionist border town safe from the Border Ruffians’ raid and the man who as the statue’s plaque commemorates: “He dared begin, He lost, But losing won.” -Eugene F. Ware.
The statue, an effort led first by an Osawatomie postmistress and funded by the Women’s Relief Corp by selling 10 cent petals off 20-petal sunflowers, was sculpted by John Fite Waters and cast by the Borbedine Foundry in Paris which also made the Statue of Liberty.
We can’t help but be honored to play a small part in the continuing story of this statue when KC Restoration was asked to address the green oxidation and staining from muriatic acid. Last week’s work revived the statue to its gorgeous tones and look that will continue to honor John Brown for years to come and just in time for Osawatomie’s annual Freedom Festival that was held this past weekend with military reenactments, cannon firings, vintage baseball, great music, food, and fun.
