Hiawatha statue might need more repair

La Crosse’s Hiawatha statue may need another makeover before anyone tries to move it out of Riverside Park.

An inspection by the city arts board finds that the nearly 60-year-old statue has deteriorated visibly since its last renovation in 2001.

The cement statue now has a long crack on the back of one leg, and there are concerns that the artwork could topple.

“We identified in our report a very major kind of crack along the back of one of the legs,” La Crosse Arts Board chair Doug Weidenbach said. “It looks as if, if you tried to move it, it might pretty much destroy the integrity of the entire sculptor.”

It was a year ago, this week, the statue became a hot topic for public discussion again.

The family of sculptor Anthony Zimmerhakl has talked about relocating Hiawatha, but that decision apparently is not final.

“I don’t’ think it has to be fixed first,” Weidenbach said of moving it. “There’s some question about what would happen if it is moved because of the present structural state of the sculpture.”

Board members said the city is under no legal obligation to fix Hiawatha, either. It has stood along the river for more than 50 years, after being built in the 1960s.

Back in 2000, there was debate about removing Hiawatha. After the city council voted to leave the statue where it is back then, the cement artwork was repaired at a cost of $35,000.

Other artworks high on the repair list include the pedestal for the Eagle sculpture at Riverside, and the ‘Dancers’ display in the Pump House parking lot.