Randolph Rose Collection In The News

A series of five custom bronze book bench library statues designed and cast by Randolph Rose Collection for the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza in Houston, TX. See the statue here.

Visitors to downtown Houston’s Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza now have a new space to read and reflect following the installation and dedication of five new, book-inspired bronze benches. Underwritten by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Ladies for Literacy Guild, the benches commemorate the exceptional efforts of our illustrious namesake and former First Lady Barbara Bush, who for nearly three decades, served as an advocate for literacy at the local and national level.  

A focal point of Barbara’s Memorial Garden, a dedicated green space on the Plaza, the book benches will inspire present and future generations of children, families, and visitors of the Plaza to read. Representatives from the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, the Ladies for Literacy Guild, City of Houston, Houston Public Library (HPL) and Houston Public Library Foundation (HPL Foundation) attended the outdoor dedication of the bronze book benches on February 22nd at the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza.

The benches, casted in bronze and detailed with open, fluttering book pages invite children, families, and Plaza visitors to relax on any of the five new installations. The Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza is quickly gaining recognition as a “must-see” downtown destination for visitors from near and far. Weekly programming events for audiences of all ages, along with a variety of engaging installations, such as a water wall and performance stage, have transformed the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza into a vibrant and bustling community space in the heart of downtown Houston.

Orginally published - Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation

A bronze statue of a train conductor, "All Aboard" from Randolph Rose Collection - Yonkers, NY. See the statue here.

As a part of its 150th birthday, Denison is turning to its past for a new piece of public art. The city is planning to install a new sculpture outside the Katy Depot building that will pay homage to the city's past as a railroad hub in the last 19th and early 20th centuries.

The proposed sculpture was quietly approved for placement by the Denison Historic Preservation Board earlier this week, setting the stage for the purchase and installation of the piece this winter outside of the Katy Depot.

"We thought it would be a good tribute to the city on its 150th anniversary and sesquicentennial and it really honors the heritage of the railroad that we are going for," Denison Mayor Pro Tem Brian Hander said.

The new three-piece bronze sculpture, entitled "All Aboard," was created by the Randolph Rose Collection and depicts a train conductor calling out to riders preparing to board a train. Nearby, a woman and a small child run to catch the train before it departs the station.

This would mark the second Randolph Rose sculpture in Denison following another piece located at Waples Memorial United Methodist Church.

"We do have a basis here for their work," Hander said. "They are a really great company to work with, and I think people are going to be really happy with this.

Hander said he started looking at ways to celebrate the city's 150th anniversary in late 2020 when he found the sculptor and the piece. Currently, only three copies of All Aboard exist, he said.

The depot was built in the early 1910s and the sculpture depicts people dressed in 1920s fashions, which Hander felt would pay honor to the heyday of Denison's rail history.

The city has dedicated $14,000 to the project — roughly half the cost of the sculpture, Hander said, adding that his family has dedicated an additional $2,000 for the project. Organizers have also approached the Denison Arts Council regarding funding, but the project needed approval by Historic Preservation before they could consider it.

The sculpture will come at the culmination of several projects within the city, including the restoration of the depot and the nearby Hotel Denison. Hander hopes that the sculpture will also serve as a landmark for the city's visitor's center, which is located inside the depot.

Plans are still being made for the anniversary, but Hander said he hopes to include all of these parts of the city's past in its festivities.

A plate on the sculpture indicates it is part of the Randolph Rose Collection. The Veterans Building which stands adjacent was recently renovated, and as far as we could tell, this memorial was placed here and dedicated on November 11, 2016.

To the east stands this life-sized bronze sculpture of a World War II Marine, in full uniform. He has on a helmet and backpack, and is holding his rifle pointed down.

The sculpture is from the collection of Randolph Rose Collection and was dedicated on November 11, 2016 when renovation of the Veterans Building was honored.

Built in 1946, the former American Legion and VFW post Collinsville, Oklahoma had deteriorated over time. “It’s just been an icon for the city,” City Manager Pam Polk said. “We knew we wanted to bring it back to life to make it not only a remembrance of those that have fought for us and given us our freedoms but to have it for the community’s use for different events.” The 5,000-square-foot facility has undergone a number of upgrades, including installation of a new roof system, restrooms, meeting rooms, flooring and walkways, as well as improvements to landscaping. The foyer, which features a catering kitchen and stage, can be used for community events and is available to rent. Above the front entrance, engraved on a concrete panel are the words: "This building is dedicated to those who served our country - by the community of Collinsville.

In addition to hosting the building’s dedication, the city unveiled a war memorial outside that features bronze sculptures of a World War II Marine and a fallen soldier “battlefield cross.” The creeds of each military branch are etched in black granite plaques surrounding the cross.st at Ninth and Main streets had deteriorated over time. It was deeded to the city of Collinsville shortly before its roof collapsed in 2012. City officials decided to fully restore both the inside and outside of the structure, improving its many features and preserving its long history. The city invested around $700,000 in the project, which came from a surplus in Vision 2025 funds. Some private fundraising for the development was done, as well.

This memorial stands on a concrete circular patio, bordered by inlaid bricks. At the center is a 5-sided black granite base on which stands a Marine Corps Battle Cross memorial. On each of the five faces, a soldier's creed for each branch of service is engraved.

The symbol and history of the Battle Cross: "The Fallen Soldier Battle Cross, Battlefield Cross or Battle Cross is a symbolic replacement of a cross, or marker appropriate to an individual service-member's religion, on the battlefield or at the base camp for a soldier who has been killed. It is made up of the soldier's rifle stuck into the ground or into the soldier's boots, with helmet on top. Dog tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, and the boots of the dead soldier can be placed next to the rifle. The purpose is to show honor and respect for the dead at the battle site. The practice started during or prior to the American Civil War, as a means of identifying the bodies on the battleground before removal. Today, it is a means of showing respect for the dead among the still living members of the troop. It is commonly seen in the field or base camp after a battle, especially among American troops in Afghanistan or Iraq. While it is used less today as a means of identification, it still serves as a method of mourning among the living, as attending the funeral is not always possible for soldiers still in combat."

Circling this centered sculpture are five large sloped granite slabs on which bronze seals of each of the armed forces are shown: Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.

legion.org/memorials/244567/veterans-building-collinsville-oklahoma

A bronze statue of a boy pushing a wheelbarrow from Randolph Rose Collection. See the statue here.

The National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia unveiled the 25th Orphan Train Rider Statue on Friday, April 5th at the Cloud County Historical Society Museum in Concordia.

The statue, sponsored by the Morgan Family in honor of Lyle and Joan Morgan, honors rider Rudolph Ernest Jubelt....

...The National Orphan Train Complex is reproducing the famous bronze statues of children at play on their grounds throughout the entire community by matching businesses and organizations in Concordia with a bronze statue that pays tribute to an orphan train rider.

The statues come from the Randolph Rose Collection in Yonkers, New York, a family-owned and operated company that specializes in handmade bronze garden sculpture, statues, fountains and accessories for home, garden and public spaces.

https://www.ncktoday.com/

Custom bronze statue of Anna Laura Hill designed and created by Randolph Rose Collection, NY. See the statue here.

https://www.ncktoday.com/

The 17th Annual Celebration of Orphan Train Riders was held May 30th through June 1st in Concordia. The highlight of the weekend was the unveiling of two new Orphan Train Rider Statues outside the Whole Wall Mural, the longest sculpted brick mural in the United States located on the east wall of the Cloud County Museum Annex and Concordia Travel Information Center/Cloud County Tourism Office.

The new statues are a life-sized bronze replica statue of placement agent Anna Laura Hill of the Children’s Aid Society, as well as an Orphan Train Rider statue of Anna Louise Doherty, rider to Clifton, Arizona in 1904, which was installed in memory of the late-Audrey Kalivoda.

As co-director of Cloud County Tourism from 2014 to 2017, Audrey worked tirelessly promoting Cloud County. When the Orphan Train Rider Statue Project was created in 2016, Audrey was all-out gung-ho from the beginning and photographed each of the first statues.

Marilyn Levinson, widow of Anderson Creek Club founder David Levinson, and their son, Dr. Micah Levinson, unveil a statute of David Levinson at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Anderson Creek Club community.

Article orignally appeared in The Daily Record

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SHARILYN WELLS

Harnett County neighbors and friends gathered recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Anderson Creek Club (ACC) and to commemorate and memorialize its founder, David N. Levinson.

In 1998, Levinson, an experienced Delaware Real Estate Developer, recognized the beauty and potential in a large pine tree farm in Harnett County. From the natural beauty, potential for diverse neighborhoods and the golf potential, he realized that this area would be a great place to live and play. He so loved the area that shortly after beginning development of Anderson Creek Club, he moved his family to Harnett County, where he lived until his death in 2019.

Levinson considered Anderson Creek Club to be his greatest real estate achievement. Developers broke ground in 2001 on the golf course, developed and designed by Davis Love III. The course was named “Best new golf course in NC” in 2001 and the beauty was recognized by the Hall of Fame Golfer as “a postcard on every hole.”

Anderson Creek Club’s construction also continued for homes and amenities. Today, ACC includes over 20 neighborhoods and park areas, multiple pools and gyms, and is adjacent to the Anderson Creek Academy Charter School — a free charter school available to all K-5 students who live in North Carolina.

Under a beautiful Carolina sky, the golf culture of Anderson Creek Club was evident as many neighbors arrived to the anniversary ceremony on golf carts (with golf clubs) and parked under the tall pine trees. The community spirit was also present with a flag detail provided by four Boy Scouts in Anderson Creek Club troops and many volunteers working the event.

Special attendees included Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett), retired Sen. Ron Rabin, Harnett County Commissioners Brooks Matthews and Mark Johnson, Harnett County Economic Development, Select Bank Senior Vice President Van Gunter, JCW Construction representative Brad Woodrow, Scouts BSA Occoneechee Council Commissioner Kirk Johnson and Executive Erin Zeek.

Burgin spoke to the attendees and remembered his friend David, who saw the potential of this part of Harnett County, the great investment opportunity, and recognized the tremendous results.

Burgin recognized Levinson’s impact and vision for a secure neighborhood where neighbors could get to know one another, play together outside and create a community lifestyle. Levinson’s vision included a community with many diverse types of homes reflecting different lifestyles. He was the first to invest in high-speed internet for all of the homes, long before COVID-19 made that a priority.

Burgin also spoke of Levinson’s desire to build a state-of-the-art Charter School – which became one of the best schools in Harnett County. He acknowledged the many retirees in the area who have kept working in schools and in many volunteer organizations. And he recognized the work of Commissioner Brooks Matthews. Burgin encouraged everyone to preserve the legacy of David Levinson through work to make the community and Harnett County continue to thrive.

Dr. Micah Levinson, son of the developer, and his mother, Marilyn Levinson, unveiled a nearly lifesize statue of David Levinson. The statue, which was commissioned with private funds, is surrounded by multiple seating areas planted with azaleas and becomes part of the park in the Inner Circle Neighborhood of Anderson Creek Club. Levinson is also memorialized in the renaming of the park as David Levinson Memorial Circle.

Dr. Micah Levinson said that his father never wanted to leave Anderson Creek. As he looked to the statue he mused, “With this statue, he never will.”

In closing, Steve Shotz, a business partner of Anderson Creek Club, thanked everyone for attending the event and announced the establishment of the David Levinson Memorial Scholarship to provide merit-based education scholarships for the 2022 academic year.

Custom bronze statue designed and cast for Anderson Creek Club by Randolph Rose Collection, NY.