Sandpoint Lady Liberty statue ‘gets so much love’ that it needs repairs

The iconic Lady Liberty statue that sits on the edge of Lake Pend Orielle and Sandpoint City Beach Park is indisposed for four weeks due to damage that will be repaired.

But it’s not because someone wanted to harm her, Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm said. It’s because she “gets so much love.”

Saturday morning, Grimm got a call from a concerned resident who told him the base of the Lady Liberty statue was “breaking away” and leaning over.

Once the parks department inspected, it determined the “fatigue” of the statue resulted in some structural failure at the base, Grimm said.

“It wasn’t vandalism … She gets loved on a lot. Fifty kids a day are jumping on her and hanging off of her,” he said.

The statue will get a new base and a new paint job. It is the third time it’s had to be repaired, Grimm said.

Lady Liberty was donated in 2003 in memory of Louise (Lee) Turner, who had the statue in her backyard. She was a well-known local businesswoman who owned two restaurants on the edge of Lake Pend Oreille, according to her obituary.

The statue jutting out into the lake has since become a focal point in the area for tourists.