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Portland’s statues of liberty

Do you know where they stand?

A replica of the Statue of Liberty stands on a brick base.

The inscription reads, “Liberty, Freedom for all nations. Freedom for all people. Let freedom Ring!”

Photo via @maniac7362

When it comes to bearing the torch of liberty, Portland has two tributes that stand tall.

One replica towers more than 50 ft tall in the back parking lot of a Milwaukie strip mall. The story goes that the owner, who had immigrated from the Middle East, wanted to install it to show solidarity with America in the wake of 9/11. Despite an incident in which the head caught fire — and some bureaucratic pushback — the statue was finally installed, complete with a miniature moat (because she’s on an island) and a plaque that shares a message of freedom.

The other, located outside a private residence at the corner of North Massachusetts Avenue and Shaver Street, is shrouded in a veil of mystery. Are the proprietors from New York, or are they blacksmiths? Why does this effigy keep watch over an otherwise nondescript intersection? If you have a tip, let us know.

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