Alki Statue of Liberty needs a new ‘coat’ – can you chip in?

| Alki Statue of Liberty | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

One week ago, we visited the Alki Statue of Liberty to ponder those who gathered by the statue to mourn on and after 9/11, 25 years earlier. Tonight, the Alki Community Council launched a donation drive to get the statue a new “coat” – protective coating to stop its base from cracking. Leading the ACC meeting, president Charlotte Starck said “the good news is it’s fixable and doesn’t cost that much,” about $4,000. The ACC maintains the plaza, dedicated in 2008, with money left over from the community donations that funded it back then, money that’s not accessible for work like this, so they’re launching a drive to raise $5,000 to cover the cost. You can donate here. “It’s either, do something about it, or sit here and watch it deteriorate,” Starck said. This was one of three major topics at tonight’s meeting; we’ll report on the other two tomorrow!

ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: Close-up photo of the cracks, from the ACC:

West Seattle Lite September 18, 2026 (8:21 am)

Donated!

Craig September 18, 2026 (8:48 am)

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think it should be replaced with a symbol related to the PNW, or West Seattle or Alki Beach. A small copy of a famous sculpture from New York is odd to me. Just one person’s opinion. No, I’m not offended by it and appreciate what it means, but my hometown pride makes me wonder why we have an imitation of another city’s art in our front yard when we’re so unique as a culture, and that spot is the birthplace of Seattle.

Maria September 18, 2026 (10:49 am)

Funny, to me Lady Liberty is a symbol of our nation — not NYC art. This particular pedestal is relating Seattle to the nation. There is so much Seattle art throughout the city and right here on Alki. Within a few blocks are marine life statues, the loghouse museum, totem story pole , and dedications to the first settlers and indiginous peoples all along the promenade.
Alki resident September 18, 2026 (11:43 am)

Wasn’t aware that the Statue of Liberty represented New York. I thought she represented America.
wsbstseattle September 18, 2026 (12:31 pm)

Interestingly enough, the statue is actually very connected to Alki’s history. The modern (2007) bronze statue is a replica of the original copper, wood, and plaster Our Little Sister of Liberty statue (now at the Log House Museum) which was placed in that same spot by the Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts in 1952 as part of a nation-wide campaign. They chose Alki for its location because when Lee Terry (who was from New York) and John Low established the colonial settlement on the peninsula in the fall of 1851, they named it New York. It was Lee’s brother, Charles who renamed the settlement Alki, after the rest of the settlers moved to what is now Pioneer Square. The statue in one form or another has been on Alki for 74 of Seattle’s 175 year history. The original and its replacement have served as a gathering space for our community for some of the most important moments of our city, and our nation’s, history over those 74 years–most notably in the wake of 9/11. So while she is a copy of a statue in New York, she is also deeply connected to generations of people who have lived in Seattle.
- ACG September 18, 2026 (3:16 pm)
  
  Thanks for the history and backstory of the statue and the Alki name!
JR September 18, 2026 (12:34 pm)

Are you familiar with the history of Alki, and how originally the settlers called it it Alki New York instead of Seattle, with a vision that the city would one day be like the New York or the West coast? That’s what prompted the donation of this statue on Alki.
Sam September 18, 2026 (5:59 pm)

Sounds like someone needs to take the walking tour put on by the log house museum! I learned so much when I went.

Rlv September 18, 2026 (10:51 am)

Thanks for the heads-up–donated!

2MuchWhine September 18, 2026 (11:11 am)

I am not trying to be a troll and I completely understand the need to maintain public art. I support the fundraising drive BUT if it is $4,000 to apply a protective coating then why are they raising $5,000? Most projects have a 10% buffer so a goal of $4,400 would seem reasonable.

ACC September 18, 2026 (9:29 pm)

Alki Community Council delivered the information in our meeting and explained a bit more, including: all donations go directly to the repair with any extra funds going into the fund managed by the Seattle Parks Department to sustain annual maintenance of the statue and plaza. That fund has a lifespan of about 7 years given the current rate of city fees and inflation, rising wages, etc. So the community will need, in the coming years to eventually raise more. In addition, those existing maintenance funds, due to the specific contract with the city, do not allow for this kind of added repair in the scope of work.Thus the need for a separate initiative. It has been researched and discussed for many months between ACC and Seattle City Parks and Recreation.

T Rex September 19, 2026 (8:34 am)

Look up in the history of the Statue of Liberty in Wikipedia, it will explain everything to those of you who don’t know its history and how it came to America. It’s a great story.

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