Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District
About this property
Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located on the Mount Mercy University campus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. It consists of a lagoon and five structures dedicated to the Virgin Mary. They include two arched entryways, a bridge, a ten-column structure representing the Ten Commandments, and a canopy enclosing a marble statue of the Virgin Mary. It was built by William H. Lightner, a self-trained architect, between 1929 and 1941. He utilized 12 tons of stone and 300 varieties of Italian mosaic glass that he acquired in his travels of more than 40,000 miles (64,000 km). Popular in southern Europe, grottoes are natural or artificial caves that are places of spiritual reflection. In the United States, they are found primarily in the Midwest, and are created mostly by self-trained artists and builders. When Lightner died in 1968, the Grotto fell into disrepair. Grants from the Smithsonian Institution’s American Heritage Preservation Project-Save Outdoor Sculpture (2001), the Iowa Arts Council (2011), and The National Endowment for the Arts (2014) were used to restore the structures. The Grotto is used for a variety of personal and communal events.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District listed on the National Register?
Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 2015.
What type of historic resource is Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District?
Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District?
The period of significance for Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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